There are various reasons why a death may have to be reported to the Coroner by a doctor or by the Police. The Coroner’s duty is to establish the cause of death when a doctor is unable to certify. If this is the case, relatives will be kept informed of the situation by the Coroner’s Officer and they will be advised when they will be able to go to register. If the deceased is to be cremated, then the green certificate as detailed previously, is not issued by the Registrar as we receive a form direct from the Coroner. A relative must still attend to register the death and we will advise when this can be done.

When the Coroner decides that an inquest is necessary, they will issue forms as required for burial or cremation and will register the death automatically.

Relatives will then need to go to the Registrar if copies of the document are required. Usually the Coroner’s procedure takes very little time, perhaps four or five days, but on some occasions the funeral may have to be delayed.

The Coroner’s Officer for Dudley area can be contacted on 0845 352 7484 or 0845 352 7485.