Visits for research or professional development
Please be aware that we are unable to offer work experience or marshalling placements at this time
We are also unable to provide any information regarding the mode of death or the attendance of specific witnesses
- Use the online court diary to find a date
- Avoid hearings marked Opening or Pre-Inquest Review
- It is entirely up to you to decide which hearing may be relevant to your own training and development
- Send a courtesy email to coroners.office@manchester.gov.uk advising the date and time you will attend. You will receive a standard automatic acknowledgment.
The Coroners and their team recognise the importance of court observation in training the next generation of doctors, nurses, lawyers and other professionals and we regularly welcome observers to inquest hearings. Almost all of our inquests are held in open court and members of the public/press are allowed to attend.
If you do wish to observe a court hearing you will need to use the online court diary to find the date you wish to attend, but suggest you avoid hearings marked Opening or Pre-inquest review as these are administrative sessions only. We will be unable to review the court diary and provide any information to you regarding the mode of death or the attendance of specific witnesses and it is entirely up to you to decide which hearing may be relevant for your own training and development.
Please be aware that Inquest hearings may change at very short notice, so re-check the diary the day before your visit to ensure this is going ahead as planned. It is also important for us that you send a courtesy email to coroners.office@manchester.gov.uk so the clerk of the court can expect you.
We put bereaved families first and would remind all visitors to show sensitivity and respect. Quiet and professional conduct are essential throughout the court complex, and we ask that you wear smart casual/business attire or uniform, together with any academic or professional ID. Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the first inquest, make yourself known at Reception and go to the appropriate court waiting room as directed where the clerk of the court will seat you in the public area.
Visitors should not approach anyone involved in the inquest, even to offer condolences.
If you are staying all day, there will be a lunch break where you can go out to a local cafe. The court day usually finishes between 4pm and 5pm but if you need to leave before the last case finishes, it is acceptable for you to leave quietly without making an apology to the court.