In brief: Jersey’s Viscount has warned that the department handling inquests and jury trials is operating at maximum capacity and cannot absorb further budget cuts. A backlog of at least 60 inquest cases is expected to carry into next year, with additional pressure looming from the rheumatology treatment scandal and the Haut du Mont explosion aftermath.
A Department Stretched to Its Limits
The Viscount’s Department, which oversees inquests into sudden or unexplained deaths as well as jury trials, is running at “maximum capacity in most areas,” according to Viscount Mark Harris. In a submission to the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel, Advocate Harris made clear that further budget reductions would be “unfeasible” without a direct impact on services.
The workload figures tell their own story. The department completed 100 inquests in 2025, compared with just 51 in 2021. A further 72 have already been completed so far this year. Advocate Harris attributed the surge to greater complexity: “The greater complexity of deaths in Jersey in recent years means that a larger number require detailed investigation and oversight, resulting in longer inquests with more taking place over several days.”
At least 60 inquest cases are expected to be carried forward into next year, and that figure excludes two significant additional pressures still on the horizon.
Rheumatology Scandal and Haut du Mont Add to the Burden
The department faces two exceptional and weighty additions to its caseload. The first concerns the review of rheumatology treatment at Jersey’s hospital. An employment tribunal ruling, published earlier this week, found that former senior rheumatology consultant Dr Michael Richardson was fairly dismissed. That ruling also revealed that relatives of 33 deceased rheumatology patients had received letters informing them of “catastrophic” harm. All 33 cases have been referred to the Viscount’s Department, which will independently determine whether formal inquests are required in each instance.
The second concerns the Haut du Mont gas explosion of 10 December 2022, which killed ten islanders. The department co-ordinated disaster victim identification and the mass-fatality emergency response in the immediate aftermath, while the subsequent criminal trial involved Jersey’s largest-ever jury empanelment. Inquests linked to Haut du Mont cannot be scheduled until criminal proceedings have concluded.
A part-time Assistant Viscount and Coroner, appointed in August last year, has proved “crucial” in managing the rising workload, Advocate Harris noted.
Budget Pressures and the Road Ahead
The Treasury Minister had asked Advocate Harris to identify a proposed saving of £40,000 for 2027. He has done so, but drawn a firm line: any further cuts to the core budget while maintaining the current level of service would simply not be possible.
Additional funding proposed in the Budget would provide an extra court officer, a court services officer, and cover expenses associated with more jury trials. That last point matters because new violence against women and girls legislation is expected to generate an increase in criminal cases, placing further demands on a jury selection process currently administered by the department’s small Coroner and Court Services Team. The department presently has just two dedicated court officers.
Advocate Harris was measured but direct in his assessment: “The department is working to maximum capacity in most areas and if there were to be significant changes that affected the workload of the department, there is a clear risk that additional resource would be required.”
Source: Jersey Evening Post
