A new assistant coroner has been appointed for Cumbria.
Andrew Cousins has been selected for the role and will take up the post officially in October and will combine the new role with his current positions.
Andrew brings to this role his experience as an existing assistant coroner in the Blackpool and Fylde area and as a deputy coroner on the Isle of Man.
Miss Kirsty Gomersal, senior coroner for Cumbria, welcomed Andrew to the county’s coronial team.
She said: “I am delighted to welcome Mr Cousins as HM Assistant Coroner for Cumbria. Mr Cousins is an experienced coroner and inquest specialist.
“He joins Dr N Shaw, Ms M Taylor, Mr C Smith and Mr R Cohen as HM Assistant Coroners. Mr Cousins’ appointment strengthens the coroner’s team and we wish him well with this new role.”
Assistant coroners work a minimum of 20 days every year for HM Coroner’s Service and assist with the workload, conducting inquests and investigations as assigned by the senior coroner.
HM Coroners are independent judicial officers (Judges) and members of the judiciary.
They 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, which led to 450 inquests being held.
HM Coroners area in Cumbria is a judicial area, as set out in legislation, and following local government reorganisation that came into force within in April 2023.
Cumberland Council was appointed as the ‘relevant authority’ for coronial services in the county, but the service is joint funded by Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness Councils.
