Verdict
The following verdicts are not mandatory but are strongly recommended:
- Category 1
- Natural causes
- Industrial diseases
- Dependency on drugs or non-dependent abuse of drugs
- Want of attention at birth
- Lack of care or self-neglect
- Category 2
- Suicide
- Attempted or self-induced abortion
- Accident or misadventure
- Execution of sentence of death
- Lawful killing (formerly "justifiable homicide")
- Open verdict (cause of death unknown or unstated)
- Category 3 - Unlawful killing
- Murder
- Manslaughter
- Infanticide
- Category 4
- Still birth
In 2004, 37% of inquests recorded an outcome of death by accident / misadventure, 21% by natural causes, 13% suicide, 10% open verdicts, and 19% other outcomes.
If an open verdict is returned, the inquest can be reopened if new evidence is found and presented to the coroner.
Read more about this topic: Inquests In England And Wales
Famous quotes containing the word verdict:
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—C. John Sommerville (20th century)
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)