About the post
Herefordshire Council is seeking to appoint a new Assistant Coroner to support the Senior Coroner across the full range of Coroner duties in order to deliver a high-quality Coroner service to the people of Herefordshire.
Successful candidates will be required to attend a mandatory Assistant Coroner Induction training course on 1-2 December 2026 and a follow up course in June 2027 (date to be confirmed).
Herefordshire Council is looking for an exceptional candidate with excellent proven organisational, management and efficiency skills, as well as experience of exercising sound judgement and communicating effectively. You will work closely with the Senior Coroner to ensure the running of an efficient Coroner service that puts the bereaved at the heart of its service.
You will be required to demonstrate knowledge and experience of Coroner law and have experience in conducting investigations and an understanding of court procedure. You will also need to demonstrate the excellent communication and interpersonal skills necessary to deal with sensitive situations.
The successful candidate will be required to carry out the duties and responsibilities of a Coroner as defined in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and associated rules and regulations and as further described in various guidance issued by the Chief Coroner.
Assistant Coroners are required to sit a minimum of 20 days a year. These are fee paid positions although they are likely to involve a regular commitment, which is to be agreed between the Assistant Coroner, Senior Coroner and the local authority.
Unlike in some larger and urban jurisdictions, given the rural context and smaller volume of referrals, Assistant Coroners are expected to undertake 100% of coronial duties (both administrative and court) in death and treasure cases, often as the primary point of contact for Coroner Officers, Clerks and outside agencies. The Senior Coroner has national leadership positions around major incidents/disaster victim identification and Coroner Officer training, and this is likely to also benefit Assistant Coroners. The area is in the process of updating both internal and external processes and ways of working in line with contemporary expectations, including working 100% digitally on Civica and greater use of video link hearings. Assistant Coroners are likely to have relevant experience to contribute fully to these changes and have opportunities to engage with external stakeholders such as the police, Medical Examiners, mortuary/pathology services, registrars, and Treasure Finds Liaison Officers.
The successful candidate will be a barrister or a solicitor or Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives and satisfy the judicial-appointment eligibility condition which means they will have 5 years of experience whilst holding that qualification. They will be under the age of 75 and be subject to the appointment and eligibility conditions within the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (s.23 and Schedule 3).
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