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inquest

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inquest

 [in´kwest]
a legal inquiry before a coroner or medical examiner, and usually a jury, into the manner of death.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

in·quest

(in'kwest),
A legal inquiry into the cause of sudden, violent, or mysterious death.
[L. in, in, + quaero, pp. quaesitus, to seek]
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

inquest

A public inquiry into death which, under English law, is held to establish:
(1) the identity of the deceased,
(2) the date and
(3) place of death and
(4) the circumstances surrounding the death (including the medical cause of death).
Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

in·quest

(in'kwest)
A legal inquiry into the cause of sudden, violent, or mysterious death.
[L. in, in, + quaero, pp. quaesitus, to seek]
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

inquest

A judicial inquiry usually into the cause of a death. Inquests are presided over by coroners who are either barristers, solicitors or medical practitioners. Inquests are held in cases of violent or unnatural death, deaths in prison, deaths from industrial disease or poisoning and in other cases of death in which the coroner has discretion as whether or not to hold an inquest. A jury may or may not be called.
Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005
Mentioned in
References in periodicals archive
December 21 1995 The inquest into Pte James's death recorded an open verdict.
An inquest into the killing last year returned an open verdict, after coroner Dr Stephen Chan refused to accept evidence from expert witnesses or to allow a verdict of unlawful killing to go before the jury.
But they could not decide and they returned an open verdict.
In recording an open verdict, Mr Sheffield said: "It may well be that it was her intention to go over the cliff and end her life and in fact that may well be the most likely conclusion.
OPEN verdicts were recorded by a coroner yesterday on an uncle and the nephew named after him who died mystery deaths 15 days apart.
He said: "Therefore, I have come to the conclusion, that the only correct verdict for me to give, is one of an open verdict."
Following yesterday's inquest Tony Ritch, Lavern's brother, said: "I am surprised it was an open verdict but I can understand because of the logistics of the crime.
Mr Whittaker recorded an open verdict on the death of the father-of-three.
Her mother, 41, said: "I'm happy he ruled an open verdict not suicide.
After returning an open verdict, the 10 jurors rejected a string of claims made by officers about the events leading up to Mr de Menezes being killed.
Sir Michael Wright began summing up seven weeks of evidence by telling jurors they will be allowed to return only a verdict of lawful killing or an open verdict.
A JAMAICAN inquest into the death of former Warwickshire cricket coach Bob Woolmer has ended in an open verdict.
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