The Coroner's Court holds an inquest to determine how, when and where the individual died, and in some cases a Coroner will singularly head this court. Deputy and Assistant Deputy Coroners act when the Coroner is not available, in doing so, they exercise the full powers of the Coroner.

Coroners are generally lawyers, and in some cases doctors, and they and their deputies hold investigations or inquests into the causes of death to determine whether further criminal investigation is necessary. In Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal and the Sheriff Courts investigate suspicious deaths under the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiry (Scotland) Act 1976.

A GP, or hospital doctor, deals with most deaths, as they can certify the medical cause of death, and register it with the Registrar of Births and Deaths. However, in certain circumstances the registrar must also report deaths to the Coroner if, for example, the death occurred during an operation, if the death was due to an industrial disease, or if the death was under unusual circumstances. If a sudden death is due to natural causes a Coroner may order a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of the death.

A Coroner must hold an inquest if the person died in a violent or unnatural way, or died in prison or in other unusual circumstances. This can include bodies brought into jurisdiction for burial or cremation from abroad. The same applies if the death was caused by a road accident.

To open an inquest, someone who can identify the body of the deceased is asked to do so, and then the body will usually be released directly after the post-mortem so that funeral arrangements can be made. The Coroner will then investigate the death, gathering statements from relevant parties and involving the police if necessary. Once sufficient information has been gathered, the inquest proper is held, and the 'who, when, where and how' the person met their death are determined. A Coroner's inquest does not apportion blame on any individual.

During an inquest, the Coroner can call upon all witnesses that he/she thinks have relevant information pertaining to the inquiry. The Coroner is the first to question the witnesses, then other questions can be asked by the parents or children of the deceased, the legal representatives of the family and other parties involved. As all inquests must be held in public, a member of the press is usually present, but they don't always have to report on the case.

There are toilet facilities, refreshments, separate waiting rooms, telephones, arrangements for the disabled, eg access for wheelchairs; facilities for the hearing impaired. Those wishing to attend court who have any other special requirements (including, for example, translation or interpretation services) are requested to contact the Coroner’s Office in advance.

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