A new senior coroner has been appointed for Cumbria.
Kirsty Gomersal has been selected for the role, which she has been carrying out since the sudden death of senior coroner Kally Cheema in December.
Ms Gomersal has been the area coroner and designated deputy for Cumbria since 2018.
She previously worked for a leading law firm, as well as being assistant coroner for West Yorkshire on a part-time basis.
Ms Gomersal said: “I am honoured and delighted to have been appointed as senior coroner for Cumbria.
“Cumbria is a fantastic county in which to live and work, and it has been a privilege to have served the county and its communities as area coroner for the past seven years. I look forward to continuing to ensure that the deceased and the bereaved continue to be firmly at the heart of the coronial process.
“I’d also like to pay tribute to my predecessor Kally Cheema who served the county as area and then senior coroner between 2016 and 2024. I will continue to build on the excellent service she and the coroner’s team provided to Cumbria.”
Coroners are independent judicial officers and members of the judiciary, who investigate and, where required, hold an inquest into deaths where there is reason to suspect that the death was due to violent or unnatural reasons, the cause is unknown, or where a death occurs whilst a person was in custody or state detention.
In 2024, there were 1,570 deaths reported to the coroner in Cumbria, with led to 450 inquests being held.
