Isle of Man Today : Body in bag coroner

Body in bag coroner

August 20, 2012

Dr Fiona Wilcox is to give this year’s Caroline Weatherill memorial lecture.

The distinguished Westminster coroner, whose court handles a high concentration of cases, often challenging and high profile, presided over the Gareth Williams ‘MI6 spy-in-a bag’ case earlier this year.

Dr Wilcox is dual qualified as a barrister and doctor and at one time was a house doctor at the former Noble’s Hospital in Westmoreland Road, Douglas.

The topic of her lecture will be the workings of the coroner’s court and the impact on families involved.

She will address the issue of how lawyers must switch from an adversarial style of advocacy (which is usual in courts) to an inquisitorial mode, as the purpose of the enquiry is to establish the facts concerning a death rather than to apportion blame on any individual.

Organised by the Isle of Man Law Society and sponsored by Appleby, the lecture will take place on Friday, October 5, at 6pm at the Claremont Hotel, Douglas, to be followed by a question and answer session and a short reception.

The annual lecture was established in 2007 in memory of Caroline Weatherill, an advocate with Dickinson Cruickshank who tragically died at an early age in 2006, leaving husband Lawrence, a practising advocate, and four children.

In addition to invited guests, members of the public are welcome to attend. Admission is free, places are limited and bookings must be made by no later than Monday September 24. To reserve a place telephone the Isle of Man Law Society, 662901 or email Lisa Cushnie, lc@iomlawsociety.co.im