Assistant Coroner

Job Title: Assistant Coroner
Opportunities: 2no
Fee paid: in the region of £418.20 per day
Location: Stourport on Severn

The Role

Worcestershire County Council is seeking to appoint a new Assistant  Coroner to support the Senior across the full range of coroner duties in order to deliver a high quality coroner service to the people of Worcestershire.

Worcestershire County Council is looking for an exceptional candidate with excellent proven organisational, management and efficiency skills, as well as experience of managing and embracing change.  You will work closely with the Senior Coroner to ensure value for money, performance and financial efficiencies.

You will be required to demonstrate knowledge and experience of coroner law and of basic medicine, have proven skills 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.

This is a fee paid position although it is likely to involve a regular commitment, which is to be agreed between you, the senior coroner and the local authority.

It is a Coroner’s personal responsibility (and not that of his/her clerk/secretary) to ensure that they sit when possible.  The Chief Coroner and the Lord Chancellor would expect an assistant coroner to offer a minimum of 15 sitting days each financial year.  However, it is recognised that there is a variance of workload in each area.

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 on a 5 year basis.  They will be under the age of 70 and be subject to the appointment and eligibility conditions within the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (s.23 and Schedule 3).

Once a Coroner is appointed they are then a Judicial Office holder until they reach the age of 70 years (compulsory retirement age) unless they choose to resign or are removed by the Lord Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor prior to their 70th birthday.

The Assistant Coroner will be based in the dedicated court and coroner’s office in Stourport on Severn. Office opening hours are 9am-5pm Monday-Thursday and 9am-4pm Friday.

If you wish to have an informal discussion or arrange a visit, please contact Sharon Caldwell, Registration, Coroner and Corporate Information Services Manager on 01905 843602

Notification

The vacancy for this post has been notified to the Chief Coroner and Lord Chancellor (as required by statute).

How to Apply

Suitably qualified applicants are requested to email their CV and supporting statement to: scaldwell@worcestershire.gov.uk

Application Closing Date: Monday 10th May 2021,
Proposed Interview Date: Friday 28th May 2021,