The Dynamics of Death: Peterborough Coroners' Court, 1854-1905

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Most secondary literature on Victorian suspicious and violent death begins in the magistrate or assize court. However, the first formal court hearing of any suspicious or unexpected death was held under the jurisdiction of the local coroner. The inquest was convened within hours or days of the discovery of the body, and had the advantage of being able to depose any useful witness, including likely suspects. The Victorian coroner was able to indict individuals for murder and manslaughter following an inquest, independently of any police investigation. The inquest verdict formed the basis of any subsequent prosecution, and thus the coroner's court acted as the gatekeeper to prosecuting violent crime. However, the court could rule that suspicious deaths were accidents, suicides, or return a narrative verdict without blaming any individual. The coroner's jury, who decided the final verdict based on options given by the coroner, were drawn from a small group of men. In Peterborough, the population was small, and the likelihood that the jury knew the deceased and others involved in the death was high. The close community ties between the jury, coroner and deceased meant that their verdicts were vulnerable to personal biases. This proposal suggests investigating these links, and determining whether the jury's verdicts were compromised by their proximity to the dead, and whether this prevented the administration of effective justice.