Unlawful Killing Inquest Verdicts - The Implications of R (Maughan)

Introduction

Prior to November 2020 a verdict of unlawful killing at an inquest would have required burden of proof to the criminal standard.

However, the Supreme Court’s judgment in R (on the application of Maughan) v HM Senior Coroner for Oxfordshire now renders all conclusions on the balance of probabilities.

The consequences of placing a determination as to whether a death was because of an unlawful act on the civil standard will potentially leave multiple areas of inquest practice susceptible to this conclusion. As well as this the judgement poses huge ramifications upon any individual or organisation.

This webinar will unpick how this issue could and perhaps should be addressed in inquests where negligence or failings have contributed to a death.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• Unlawfully killed?
• R (Maughan) v HM Senior Coroner for Oxfordshire [2020] UKSC 46
• Evidencing unlawful killing and the tests to be applied
• Practical considerations for practitioners and coroners

This webinar was recorded on 13th October 2021