How the process works

Coroners have a legal responsibility to investigate deaths that are sudden or unexplained, and some other categories of deaths. There is a Coroner appointed for particular district areas by Local Authorities with the exception of Dublin, where the Coroner is appointed by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.

In many cases, a GP or hospital doctor can certify the medical cause of death and the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages can register the death.

A death should be reported to the Coroner if:

• the person died in any circumstances listed in report a death
• a doctor has not seen and treated the deceased for the condition that the person died from within one month of death

A Coroner may order a post mortem examination, hold an inquest, or request witness statements and medical records as part of their investigations to find out the cause of death.

This guide lists terms associated with the coroners and the process of reporting a death.

You can find more information on the process below:

• report a death to the Coroner
• register a death in Ireland
• get an Interim Death Certificate
• what to do if someone dies away from home
• information on post mortems
• information on inquests
• if you are attending court and require translation services or have other special requirements