Family Rights

Family Rights

What rights do family members have at an inquest?

Family members are not just spectators at an inquest. They can play an active role in the process. Family members, along with other properly interested persons, have the right to:

• receive notice of the date, time, and place of the inquest;
• attend the pre-inquest review and the inquest proper in person;
• be represented by a lawyer or speak on their own behalf during an inquest;     
• question witnesses directly or through their lawyer; and
• see and receive copies of key documents (such as autopsy reports, witness statements, and expert reports). 

Can family members submit their own evidence and expert reports at an inquest?

Family members (and other properly interested persons) can submit their own evidence and expert reports at an inquest, provided that the evidence and reports are relevant. Relevance means that these materials can help determine the cause of and circumstances connected with the death. The Coroner will decide whether these materials are relevant and whether to accept them at an inquest. 

Witnesses, including expert witnesses, can receive an appropriate allowance. 

Are family members entitled to challenge or cross-examine witnesses during an inquest?

Family members can examine witnesses during an inquest personally or through their lawyers.