The Duty of the Coroner is to find the medical cause of death of an individual in the event of an inquiry. Not all deaths are reported to the Coroner, in fact, most deaths are only reported to the deceased's doctor. A death is reported to a Coroner only when the deceased has received no medical treatment or has died suddenly or accidentally. The Coroner reviews the findings and decides whether the death was natural or unnatural. In the case of unnatural deaths, the Coroner has the body examined by a forensic pathologist to determine the cause of death. Contrary to popular belief, the Coroner does not autopsy the body. If the death is ruled unnatural, the Coroner initiates the investigation.
