Disposal of a corpse with intent to obstruct or prevent a coroner's inquest is a common law offense in England and Wales, tried on indictment and punishable by an unlimited fine, imprisonment, or both. It covers burying a person who died violently before a coroner has been able to hold an inquest, and more generally preventing the burial of a body or disposing of it specifically to obstruct an inquest that the coroner has legitimate grounds to hold. The offense remains on the books but is currently charged very rarely.
Facts
Classification CodeCommon law offence, tried on indictment 1 Typical PenaltyUnlimited fine and/or a period of imprisonment 1 Elements of OffenseBurying the body of anyone who has died a violent death before the coroner has had the opportunity of holding an inquest; or preventing the burial of a dead body, or disposing of a dead body, in order to prevent an inquest where the coroner has reasonable ground for holding one 1 Jurisdiction VariationOffence under the common law of England and Wales 1 Classification
Offense GradeMinor or Summary Offense 1 Connections
Has Offense Grade
Entity-backed identity for the offense-grade enum value this offense already carries, resolved to a crime concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The offense-grade fact itself stays on the offense unchanged.
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: England, found in there.
Sources
1. Disposal of a corpse with intent to obstruct or prevent a coroner's inquest, Wikipedia
Sentence on mode of trial
As a common law offence, it is tried on indictment
Sentence listing conduct amounting to the offence
burying the body of anyone who has died a violent death before the coroner has had the opportunity of holding an inquest on it, and preventing the burial of a dead body or disposing of a dead body in order to prevent the holding of an inquest over it in a case where the coroner has reasonable ground for holding an inquest
Sentence on punishment
can be punished by an unlimited fine and/or period of imprisonment
Opening sentence
is an offence under the common law of England and Wales
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