Inquest
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the gaming magazine, see InQuest Gamer.
In common law jurisdictions that have a coroner system, an inquest is a formal process of state investigation. A common type of inquest is a medical examination of any cause of death under suspicious circumstances. Larger inquests can be held into disasters, or in some jurisdictions (not England & Wales) into cases of corruption.[1]
The inquest, as a means of settling a matter of fact, developed in Scandinavia and the Carolingian Empire before the end of the tenth century.[2] It was the method of gathering the survey data for the Domesday Book in England after the Norman conquest.[2]
In European civil law systems, there is no procedure similar to an inquest.[1]
[edit] By jurisdiction
- England and Wales
- Scotland - Fatal accident inquiry
[edit] Cultural references
- Da Vinci's Inquest was a long-running CBC drama featuring the Vancouver coroner.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ a b [Anon.] (2001) "Inquest", Encyclopaedia Britannica, Deluxe CDROM edition
- ^ a b Baker, J. H. (2002). An Introduction to English Legal History, 4th ed., London: Butterworths, pp72-73. ISBN 0-406-93053-8.
