Attending an inquest hearing

Witnesses give evidence from the witness stand at the front of the court, near the coroner.

All witnesses are asked to take the oath or affirmation at the start of giving evidence and agree to tell the truth.

Witnesses may be able to provide evidence via video link, this is at the discretion of the coroner. Access information about availability of remote access. 

The coroner will take a witness through their statement and ask most of the questions. Other people may ask questions too, but the questions can only be about -

• who the deceased was
• how, where and when they died

The coroner will stop witnesses from answering questions that aren’t appropriate. 

Once a witness has given evidence, they are usually with the coroner’s permission free to go, however can stay to see the rest of the inquest and the conclusion. 

If you have been asked to attend court as a witness and have spent money on travel to court or taken time off and lost pay, you may be able to claim this back by completing the below form -

Claim for loss of earnings/travel expenses

Unfortunately, the coroner can only pay reasonable travel expenses and loss of earnings to people that they have required to attend court as a witness. If other family members or friends, choose to attend the court to observe or provide support they are responsible for their own expenses.