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Select committee: Justice Committee

Recommendation 24

1st Report - The Coroner Service Published 27 May 2021 Paragraph 180 Addressed to Ministry of Justice

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Recommendation (the committee's words)
It is unacceptable that the people who have been bereaved are not entitled to automatic non-means tested legal aid at inquests into multiple deaths following a public disaster. These inquests are complex and ‘equality of arms’ is a fundamental requirement to make sure those who have been bereaved can participate fully. The Ministry of Justice should introduce an automatic entitlement to non-means tested legal aid for legal representation for bereaved people at inquests into mass fatalities.

From: Justice Committee, 1st Report - The Coroner Service (HC 68), paragraph 180, 27 May 2021

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 10 September 2021 (deadline 27 July 2021).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government accepts some of the Committee's recommendations, commits to further work on others, and does not accept others, including a single national coroner service.

  • It accepts the recommendation to make it easier to merge coroner areas, which it says is "currently in progress" in the Judicial Review and Courts Bill.
  • It does not accept the recommendation to create a single national coroner service, as it does not think this "would necessarily address the issues facing the coronial system or be the best solution".
  • On legal aid for inquests, it will take forward legislation to remove the means test for Exceptional Case Funding applications for legal representation, and will consider wider legal aid in its response to Bishop James Jones' report.
  • On a Coroner Service Inspectorate, it "could be merit" in the idea but "cannot accept the recommendation at this stage", citing affordability and other ministerial priorities.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error