Statutory Instruments
1997 No. 492

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND AND WALES
CORONERS
The Staffordshire (Coroners) Order 1997

Made
21st February 1997

Laid before Parliament
5th March 1997

Coming into force
1st April 1997

The Secretary of State in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 17 and 26 of the Local Government Act 1992(1) hereby makes the following Order:

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Staffordshire (Coroners) Order 1997 and shall come into force on 1st April 1997.

(2) In this Order “the 1988 Act” means the Coroners Act 1988(2).

2.—(1) There shall be a single coroner’s district, called the Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire Coroner’s District, for the County of Stoke-on-Trent (which county comes into existence on 1st April 1997 by virtue of article 3(2) of the Staffordshire (City of Stoke-on-Trent) (Structural and Boundary Changes) Order 1995(3)) and for so much of the County of Staffordshire as is not included in the South Staffordshire Coroner’s District.

(2) The Council of the City of Stoke-on-Trent shall be the relevant council within the meaning of section 1(1A) of the 1988 Act(4) for the coroner’s district constituted by paragraph (1) above.

(3) The person who, at 31st March 1997, is the coroner for the existing North Staffordshire Coroner’s District shall be deemed on 1st April 1997 to be appointed coroner for the coroner’s district constituted by paragraph (1) above.

(4) Any agreement between the person to whom paragraph (3) applies and Staffordshire County Council (as the relevant council for the purposes of section 1 of the 1988 Act prior to 1st April 1997) as to his salary and pension as a coroner shall be deemed on and after 1st April 1997 to have effect as if originally made between him and the Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

(5) Any person who, at 31st March 1997, is a deputy or assistant deputy coroner for the existing North Staffordshire Coroner’s District shall be deemed on 1st April 1997 to be appointed deputy or, as the case may be, assistant deputy coroner for the coroner’s district constituted by paragraph (1) above.

3.—(1) On 1st April 1997, any process issued, order made, direction given, inquest begun or other thing done by or to the coroner for the existing North Staffordshire Coroner’s District shall be deemed to have been issued, made, given, begun or done by or to the coroner for the coroner’s district constituted by article 2(1) above.

(2) All documents, exhibits, registers and other things in the custody of the coroner for the existing North Staffordshire Coroner’s District in connection with inquests or post-mortem investigations shall be transferred to the coroner for the coroner’s district constituted by article 2(1) above.

(3) In this article “coroner” includes any deputy coroner or assistant deputy coroner.

Tom Sackville
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Home Office
21st February 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order makes provision about coroners in consequence of the creation of the County of Stoke-on-Trent by article 3 of the Staffordshire (City of Stoke-on-Trent) (Structural and Boundary Changes) Order 1995 on 1st April 1997.
Article 2(1) of this Order combines that new county with part of the County of Staffordshire to form a single coroner’s district. Article 2(2) makes the Stoke-on-Trent City Council the relevant council within the meaning of section 1 of the Coroners Act 1988. The relevant council is responsible for the appointment of coroners and has other functions in connection with coroners under that Act. Article 2(3) provides for the person who, on 31st March 1997, holds the office of coroner for the North Staffordshire Coroner’s District to continue as coroner for the new coroner’s district.
Article 3 makes transitional arrangements to ensure continuity as respects the coroner for the new coroner’s district.


(1)
1992 c. 19.

(2)
1988 c. 13.

(3)
S.I. 1995/1779.

(4)
Section 1(1A) was inserted by S.I. 1996/655.