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Herefordshire Coroners Service privacy notice

Introduction

Coroners are independent judicial office holders. The role of the Coroner is to investigate and record the causes and circumstances of all sudden deaths where the cause is not known, violent or unnatural deaths and any death which occurred whilst the deceased was in lawful custody. They also conduct investigations concerning objects suspected of being treasure.

This policy explains how the information we collect about you is used.

Information held about you

The Coroner collects and uses personal information of people associated with the deceased, including family (next of kin), legal representatives, and anyone else relevant to the Coroner’s work or that they are in contact with during an investigation. This includes:

  • Contact details such as name, address, telephone number, email address
  • Relationship to the deceased
  • Date and place of birth (for surviving spouses)
  • Details of any contact with you
  • Witness statements (which may include your personal information)

The Coroner may also collect and use ‘special category’ information (such as health and race) and criminal offences information, when these types of information are relevant and necessary for the Coroner’s work.

Who is processing your data

HM Senior Coroner is the lead data controller for your personal information. The Assistant Coroners act as data controllers for the cases for which they have jurisdiction. This means that the Senior Coroner and Assistant Coroners are responsible for deciding how your personal information is “processed” (that is, collected, held, used and disclosed to third parties).

All personal data held, is processed in accordance with data protection law. 

The Coroner can be contacted by email or at Herefordshire Coroners Service, 8 St Owen Street, Hereford, HR1 2PJ.

We also use Data Processors to support these activities. These include:

  • Civica UK Ltd, who provide us with a case management system to deliver our service
  • Coroners Officers employed by West Mercia Police or other appointed investigators who carry out activities in pursuit of the Coroner’s statutory powers and responsibilities
  • Coroners Clerks, who undertake administrative tasks and duties on behalf of the Coroner, are data processors employed by the local authority. The local authority can be contacted at Herefordshire Council, Plough Lane, Hereford, HR4 0LE.
How we will use the information we hold about you

The work of the Coroner is undertaken as part of a judicial activity regarding the investigation of deaths to determine who the deceased was, when, where and how they died, and to record the registration particulars to enable death certification.

You may be legally obliged by law to provide certain pieces of information to support the Coroner in their investigation. If you fail to provide information you are required to give us, you may be liable to prosecution.

The Coroner creates an audio recording of their hearings. Your information may be used as part of the hearing and recorded accordingly. Please note that hearings are public.

How the law allows us to use your information

There must be a lawful basis for the Coroner to collect, store, use and disclose your personal information.

The Coroner has legal grounds to process this information because it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and the task or function has a clear basis in law. 

These statutory powers and duties are:

  • Coroners Act 1988
  • Coroners Rules 1984
  • Coroners and Justice Act 2009
  • Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013
  • Treasure Act 1996

In addition, Article 23 (f) of the Coroners and Justice Act includes exemptions from the UK General Data Protection Regulation on the grounds of the protection of judicial independence and judicial proceedings.

Who we will share your information with

There are many different persons or agencies with whom a Coroner or a member of their support staff will share data (either by providing or receiving data) when conducting a pre-investigation or an investigation and inquest. Most information shared with a third party is about the deceased person. We will only share information where there is a lawful basis to do so. We share information with organisations, including;

  • Public agencies including local authorities, police, GPs, NHS Trusts, medical professionals, pathologists.
  • Next of kin or executors of the deceased.
  • Parties deemed Interested Persons in any investigation.
  • The relevant registration service to enable the death to be registered at the end of the investigation.
  • Other professionals such as researchers, academics and suicide prevention services for statistical or research purposes.
  • Safeguarding agencies.

Any information which is shared will only be shared on a need to know basis, with appropriate individuals. Only the minimum information for the purpose will be shared.

How long we keep your personal information

Under Regulation 27 of The Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013, any document in the possession of a Coroner in connection with an investigation or post-mortem examination must, unless a court or the Chief Coroner otherwise directs, be retained by or on behalf of the Coroner for at least 15 years from the date that the investigation is completed. After this period, should an inquest have taken place, records are archived and records may be retained indefinitely. Archiving is currently provided by the Herefordshire Archive and Records Centre. Any archived records are not accessible to the public for 75 years.

All information will be held securely and, where records are not retained at the Coroner’s discretion, destroyed under confidential conditions.

Your rights

If we are using your information to carry out the function of the Coroner we are exempt from actioning your rights request. We will however respond and notify you of this exemption if you do make a request.

If you feel that we hold or use information about you in a non-judicial capacity, we will review the information and respond to your request appropriately taking into consideration your rights.

To request your records, you will need to put your request in writing and provide proof of identification to the Information Governance Team, Herefordshire Council, Plough Lane, Hereford HR4 0LE or via email.

You also have a right to make a complaint about our handling of your personal data to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Providing accurate information
It is important that we hold accurate and up to date information about you in order to assess your needs and delivery the appropriate services. If any of your details have changed, or change in the future, please ensure that you inform us as soon as possible so that we can update your records.
Further information

If you have any questions or concerns about how your information is used, please contact the Coroners Service in the first instance. You can also contact the Data Protection Officer, at Herefordshire Council, Plough Lane, Hereford HR4 0LE, telephone (01432) 260616, or by email.

More information about data protection and how it applies to you can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office website 

Last updated date
February 2026