Janazah guide · 5 min read
Unexpected deaths and the coroner
When a death is referred to HM Coroner, what a post-mortem involves, and how to keep the burial moving.
On matters of religious practice, your own masjid and scholars are the authority. This guide covers the process around them.
If the death was unexpected
Call the police and, if known, the family doctor; tell the nearest relatives and the deceased's imam. If there is any reason to suspect the death was not natural, do not touch or remove anything in the room — contact the police on 101.
An unexpected death is referred to HM Coroner, and the death cannot be registered nor the funeral held without the coroner's authorisation. If you are unclear why a death has been referred, phone the coroner's office — an officer will explain.
When a death must be referred
Doctors and police must report certain deaths to the coroner, including where:
- the cause of death is unknown, or no doctor is available in reasonable time to certify it;
- the death may relate to violence, trauma, injury, self-harm or neglect;
- poisoning, a toxic substance, a controlled drug or a medical procedure may be involved;
- the death may relate to a workplace injury or disease;
- the person died in police custody or state detention.
Post-mortems and scanning
The coroner is legally obliged to establish the cause of death and decides whether a post-mortem is required. Coroners aim to respect religious and cultural needs, and in some cases will allow a non-invasive post-mortem — a CT or MRI scan — instead of an invasive examination. Where the family chooses the scan, its cost (several hundred pounds) is usually borne by the family, and if the scan cannot establish the cause, an invasive examination may still follow.
Tell the coroner's office early and clearly that the family seeks a quick burial for religious reasons. Offices are used to this and can often expedite.
Inquests
An inquest is an inquiry — not a trial — opened when the post-mortem shows an unnatural cause, the cause remains unknown, or the person died in custody or state care. The death cannot be registered until it concludes, but the coroner can issue an interim death certificate, which suffices for most practical needs, and an Order for Burial (Form 101) so the burial itself can go ahead.
Adapted, with gratitude, from “What to Do When Someone Dies — A Practical Guide for Muslims” by the Rochdale Council of Mosques (Registered charity no. 1148918), generalised for families anywhere in the UK.