Page last updated: Friday, 20 December 2024 at 4pm
This page is generally updated daily Monday–Friday.
You can download dates, times and details of HM Coroner's Court inquest hearings for Greater Manchester North (Rochdale, Bury and Oldham).
No information other than that detailed below will be released prior to the hearing of the inquest and the details below may be subject to change at any time.
The stages of Coronial Inquests:
- Inquest opening: all inquests have to have a formal opening. This is usually a short hearing in court with a Coroner, the court usher and a Police Coroner's Officer.
- Pre-inquest hearing: the Coroner and legal representatives review the case and check to make sure all investigations are due to be completed in time for the final hearing. Not all cases will have a pre-inquest hearing.
- Final inquest hearing or written request:
- Final inquest hearing: the end of the process when the Coroner has accumulated all the information they need to record a conclusion. This will enable the Registrars to produce the final death certificate.
- Written inquest: this is an inquest completed in writing. This is done without a hearing in court. The Coroner will still review all the information obtained as part of the investigation and will produce a ruling document to enable the inquest to be concluded, enabling the Registrars to produce the final death certificate.
If you'd like access to previous HM Coroner's Court inquest listings or have any enquiries about completed inquests, please contact the Coroner's Office using the details on this page.
Download inquest dates, times and details
Attending an inquest hearing
If you're planning to attend an inquest hearing, you can visit The Coroner's Office at the following address:
The Coroner's Office is a short walk from several council car parks in Rochdale town centre.
The Coroner's Office is easy to get to by public transport, with the Rochdale Town Centre Bee Network tram stop and Rochdale Bus Station a 5-minute walk from the building.
It's also a 10-minute walk from the train station, which is accessible from Manchester and Leeds.
The press and media at inquest hearings
Almost all inquests take place in open court and members of the press and media have the right to attend and report on proceedings.
There are 2 rare exceptions:
- The Coroner makes an order excluding the press and public from court while hearing evidence that may affect national security. For example, if there's specific information about military or police tactics.
- The Coroner makes an order preventing the publication of information that may lead to a living minor (usually the child of a deceased person) being identified.
We always ask reporters to be sensitive to the wishes of bereaved families and respect their decision on whether they want to answer questions or make a statement.
Court staff will not give out any information about a deceased person, except to confirm whether an inquest has been opened, and the date and time of the hearing.