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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> England and Wales High Court (Administrative Court) Decisions >> Morrow v HM Assistant Coroner for Merseyside (Sefton, Knowsley and St Helen's) [2025] EWHC 935 (Admin) (15 April 2025) URL: https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2025/935.html Cite as: [2025] EWHC 935 (Admin) |
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KING'S BENCH DIVISION
ADMINISTRATIVE COURT
Strand, London, WC2A 2LL |
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B e f o r e :
and
MR JUSTICE GOOSE
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Shaun Morrow | Claimant |
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- and - |
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HM Assistant Coroner for Merseyside (Sefton, Knowsley and St Helen's) | Defendant |
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-and- |
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Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust |
Interested Party |
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David Illingworth (instructed by Sefton Council) for the Defendant
Hearing date: 3 April 2025
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Crown Copyright ©
Lady Justice Whipple:
Introduction
Legal Framework
"Order to hold investigation
(1) This section applies where, on an application by or under the authority of the Attorney-General, the High Court is satisfied as respects a coroner ("the coroner concerned") either -
(a) that he refuses or neglects to hold an inquest or an investigation which ought to be held; or
(b) where an inquest or an investigation has been held by him, that (whether by reason of fraud, rejection of evidence, irregularity of proceedings, insufficiency of inquiry, the discovery of new facts or evidence or otherwise) it is necessary or desirable in the interests of justice that an investigation (or as the case may by, another investigation) should be held.
(2) The High Court may -
(a) order an investigation under Part 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 to be held into the death either -
(i) by the coroner concerned; or
(ii) by a senior coroner, area coroner or assistant coroner in the same coroner area;
(b) order the coroner concerned to pay such costs of and incidental to the application as to the court may appear just; and
(c) where an inquest has been held, quash any inquisition on, or determination or finding made at that inquest."
Claimant's Challenge
The Inquest
Key issues raised by the Claimant
First key issue: overlooked evidence of treatment failures
"In my opinion, because of the treatments and the intervention they afforded, that is background information relating to her condition and therefore I did not intend to bring those practitioners to court to read their statements when I can properly do that…." [internal p 3, timing 00.60].
Second key issue: failure properly to consider a suicide verdict
Claimant's Grounds
Grounds 1 and 2: family prevented from speaking or giving evidence
Ground 3: relevant evidence overlooked
Grounds 4 and 8: alleged collusion between the Defendant and the Trust
Grounds 5 and 7: Trust's witness evidence read
Ground 6: late addition of evidence from Ms Dougherty
Ground 9: lack of guidance on inquest procedure
Conclusion
Mr Justice Goose: