CWU Tells Government - Retain Automatic Juries

The CWU has responded strongly to the Government's consultation document on the “Coroners Service Reform Bill” which proposes amongst other things the removal of the automatic right to a jury inquest for bereaved families following a death at work.

National Health and Safety Officer Dave Joyce said “The Bill’s proposal to scrap the automatic right to a jury provoked a storm of protest in 2002 when it was last considered and it’s therefore surprising that the warnings from four years ago haven’t been heeded. The proposal is an assault on civil liberties and a removal of a human right of bereaved people as well as a removal of a basic protection for fairness.”

During the 2002 Home Office consultation, families bereaved by work-related deaths consistently supported jury inquests for work-related deaths but this draft bill however has totally disregarded their plea. This latest consultation is being conducted by the Department of Constitutional Affairs.

Dave added “Any plans to restrict jury inquests should therefore be viewed with extreme caution because it will inevitably lead to a cut the public's confidence in the Coroners system. We’re calling on the Government to reconsider this part of the proposals.” “We’ve also voiced concerns in other areas regarding deaths of British citizens abroad, widening the scope of inquests along with narrative verdicts allowing coroners and juries to comment upon the circumstances surrounding a death. We’ve also raised issues around disclosure of information to families and Coroners Service resources.”

Dave concluded "It's not all bad news however, the government have dropped the proposal to make inquests discretionary and the Unions and CCA broadly welcomes the majority of the proposals in the Bill, which are designed to strengthen and professionalize the current Coroners Service system. There’s a new administrative appeal procedure for families to assure a fair and consistent coroners service and a new Charter for Bereaved People which should lead to more consistency and quality in the coroners service as well as enhanced openness and accountability. We welcome the fact that bereaved families will have greater rights, and potentially greater involvement within the system.”

 

The CWU is strongly of the opinion that inquests are not only a crucial part of ensuring that a bereaved family is fully involved in the inquiry into the death and comes to understand fully the circumstances of the death; they also provide an important opportunity for a public airing of the circumstances and allow policy-makers to be forced to consider what steps need to be taken prevent similar deaths in the future.

Source: CWU

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