Clause 14
Coroners and Justice Bill
12:45 pm
Henry Bellingham (Shadow Minister, Justice; North West Norfolk, Conservative)
Clause 14 covers the duty to suspend or resume investigations. The key point relates to when criminal proceedings are likely to be brought. We are looking at the old rules 26 and 27, and we need to avoid any duplication.
Let us look at schedule 1, paragraphs 2, 3 and 4. The senior coroner need not suspend an investigation where the prosecuting authority or the director of service prosecutions has no objection to the investigation continuing, or where the senior coroner thinks that there is an exceptional reason for not doing so. That puzzled me a little, and I would be grateful if the Minister could provide some examples. I could not think of any obvious ones. Perhaps she could put the Committee’s mind at rest and give some clear examples.