INQUESTS in Gwent have been adjourned until the end of the coronavirus lockdown after the coroner was accused of “acting illegally” by holding them behind closed doors.

All inquests are required by law to be heard in public, with the public and the press entitled to attend.

But, following the start of the coronavirus outbreak and government advice on social distancing, senior coroner for Gwent Caroline Saunders had been holding hearings without the public or press in attendance, releasing conclusions afterwards.

This decision prompted a complaint by London-based news agency the Press Association (PA), which claimed the move was "unlawful".

Although Ms Saunders hit back, claiming the allegation was "offensive", she has now said all inquests have been postponed until after the pandemic is over.

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Under UK law the public can only be excluded from inquests "if the coroner considers it would be in the interests of national security to do so".

In a letter to Ms Saunders, PA's legal editor Mike Dodd said he was particularly troubled that the inquest into the death of 13-year-old Carson Price, who was found unconscious in Ystrad Mynach Park last year after taking ecstasy, earlier this month was held in private.

In his letter Mr Dodd said: "While PA Media has every sympathy with the difficulties caused to the Coroner Service by the coronavirus pandemic, this lack of access for the media, acting as the eyes and ears of the public, is unacceptable and, we believe, unlawful, and contradicts fundamental principles of open justice.

"We have considerable sympathy for the difficulties facing the Coroner Service at this time – the coronavirus pandemic has affected organisations and businesses across the country, and the world – and also for the desire to avoid delays or upset for the families and friends of the deceased.

“But the public interest in open justice and proper reporting of inquests has to be considered – and is arguably even more important during the current crisis – and cannot simply be discarded for reasons of administrative convenience.”

He suggested hearings could be streamed online through a system such as Zoom or or Skype.

Ms Saunders wrote back to Mr Dodd to tell him: “I do not need a lecture about the principle of open justice.”

She added: “Your allegation that the reasons for changing the ways that inquests are currently being heard in Gwent is due to the 'difficulties caused to Coroner Service' or for 'administrative convenience' is frankly offensive.

“The reason was to avoid families waiting even longer and to reduce the waiting list for new inquests.

“It is disappointing that whilst purportedly 'acting as the eyes and ears of the public' there is an important sector of the public; the bereaved of Gwent, who do not so much as get a mention in your letter.”

She also explained the facility to live stream hearings was not in place at Newport Coroner's Court, which is a listed Victorian building, and said she recognised this was "an ongoing issue", but it could not be put in place at short notice.

Ms Saunders concluded: “You will, no doubt, be relieved to know that I have acknowledged the voracity of your argument and have therefore adjourned all of the inquests listed from today onwards until the restrictions imposed by the pandemic have been lifted."

Speaking to the Argus following Ms Saunders' letter, Mr Dodd said: “A public hearing of an inquest is not an optional extra – and the requirement is there to ensure that inquests are open to scrutiny, by members of the public as well as by journalists. We simply pointed this out to the coroner.

“We did not suggest that it was necessary to cancel or postpone inquests – as we said, other courts have held hearings by various methods.

“All these involve is an internet link, a laptop computer, and an application such as, for example, Skype for Business or Zoom. During the coronavirus crisis, we cannot see why such hearings cannot be held in an office with the right equipment– they do not have to be in the coroner’s specific courtroom – as long as journalists and the public have access to them.

“We reject the suggestion that we have no concern for the bereaved – all journalists deal daily and weekly with the families of those who have died in tragic circumstances, and are acutely aware of the emotional impact of such loss, and of our responsibility to ensure that we do not add to it.

“Arrangements about the timing of inquests, or their cancellation, are a matter for the coroner.”