Coroner's Inquest

Johnboy1951

Is there a requirement for a Coroners involvement where a person has been missing for many years and who disappeared in suspicious circumstances, but no trace of that person was ever found?

The only reference I have read about a Coroner's involvement seems to be where there is a definite death.

So where a child disappears (several high profile cases like this) and no trace of that child is ever found, is there any legal requirement for a Coroner to get involved?
With a young child it could be presumed that there was no deliberate decision to go into hiding and be capable of supporting oneself, as might be the case with an older child or adult.

coylemj

The Coroner can't do much without a body...

17.—Subject to the provisions of this Act, where a coroner is informed that the body of a deceased person is lying within his district, it shall be the duty of the coroner to hold an inquest in relation to the death of that person if he is of opinion that the death may have occurred in a violent or unnatural manner, or suddenly and from unknown causes or in a place or in circumstances which, under provisions in that behalf contained in any other enactment, require that an inquest should be held.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1962/act/9/section/17/enacted/en/html#sec17

Sections 18 (no medical cert. forthcoming) and 19 (PM indicates no suspicious circumstances) also state that the body must be lying with the coroner's district.

Little CuChulainn

Would it fall under Section 23?

23.—Whenever a coroner has reason to believe that a death has occurred in or near his district in such circumstances that an inquest is appropriate and that, owing to the destruction of the body or its being irrecoverable, an inquest cannot be held except by virtue of this section, the Minister may, if he so thinks proper, direct an inquest in relation to the death to be held by that coroner or another coroner, and thereupon the coroner so directed shall hold an inquest in relation to the death in like manner as if the body were lying within his district and had been viewed by him.

Johnboy1951

Thanks.

It seems from the above that the Coroner cannot initiate an inquest where there is no definite death - i.e. body - and it takes a Ministerial order to initiate an inquest.