medical examiner

The medical examiner is an official who is responsible for investigating the cause of a death and overseeing the death certification process. A medical examiner is usually trained in pathology. In the United States they may perform post-mortem examinations, and in some jurisdictions have the power to initiate inquests. In England and Wales, the medical examiner is mostly responsible for scrutinising the cause of a death where an inquest is not held by a coroner. In England and Wales (and formerly in Scotland) coroners are judicial officers who have held a number of responsibilities since their inception, but today they are mostly responsible for holding inquests where the cause of a death may not be clear or suspicious. This system was adopted throughout the British Empire, including in th...