Louis Appleby professor of psychiatry, Pauline Turnbull project director, Nav Kapur professor of psychiatry and population health, David Gunnell professor of epidemiology, Keith Hawton professor of psychiatry
Appleby L, Turnbull P, Kapur N, Gunnell D, Hawton K.
New standard of proof for suicide at inquests in England and Wales
BMJ 2019; 366 :l4745
doi:10.1136/bmj.l4745
Re: New standard of proof for suicide at inquests in England and Wales
It’s about time that the inquest process is adapted to societal change since suicide was decriminalised over half a century ago. Bereaved families should be put in the front & centre of the new policy. Timely processing of unexplained deaths is a key step in bringing some form of closure for the loved ones. Lowering the burden of proof may reduce the need for lengthy legal arguments, which in turn can result in speedy conclusion of the proceedings. If one inquests takes less time on average, there is a good chance that waiting times will be shortened, bringing a much needed system improvement.
We also need more help for the bereaved families in the form of a liaison service. Let’s not forget supporting the professionals involved in the care of people who end there lives. In a nutshell, a more humanistic & less legalistic approach to such human tragedies is a step in the right direction.
Competing interests: No competing interests