Coroners still to hold almost half of inquests into prisoner deaths in last 12 years

Twenty-seven of the pending inquests relate to deaths which occurred in 2023 and to date this year, one relates to a death in 2013 while four others are for deaths in 2017 and 2018.

An inquest into prisoner deaths is mandatory under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT), Saoirse Brady, is concerned by the delays in the inquests, and said: “When a death occurs in custody, the Office of the Inspector of Prisons is also tasked with investigating and ascertaining the events and circumstances that led up to the death of a prisoner.

"However, only the coroner can determine the cause of death. 

This means that often families must participate in two different processes, sometimes years apart, and only get the answers and closure they are seeking after years of waiting.

“IPRT is also concerned that prolonged delays in both the holding of inquests by the Coroner's Court, combined with the delays in the publication of Office of Inspectorate of Prisons Death in Custody reports by the Minister of Justice, may impede transparency and accountability.” 

In 2021, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) published a report called Out in the Cold, which called for ‘root and branch’ reform of the coronial process, including the avoidance of unacceptable delays.

A spokeswoman for the ICCL said: “A death in custody raises serious questions which require answers without delay and accountability.” 

She added: “Placing families at the centre of the process is particularly important where someone has died in custody, isolated from society and their loved ones.” 

Department of Justice officials are currently going through submissions from organisations and individuals in response to a recent consultation process on reforming the current inquest system.