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<p>Section 13 of the Coroners Act 1988 permits an application to be made to the High
Court for either an order for a fresh inquest into a death, or an order to hold an
inquest if one has not already been held. An application under section 13 cannot be
brought unless the Attorney General’s authority – referred to as her ‘fiat’ – has
been obtained. Once the Attorney General has granted or refused her fiat, the Attorney
General’s Office does not usually have any further role in the process.</p><p> </p><p>An
applicant has six weeks from the grant of the Attorney General’s fiat to make an application
to the High Court. The High Court will then decide whether to order an investigation
to be carried out in accordance with Part 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.</p><p>
</p><p>Neither the Attorney General’s Office nor the Ministry of Justice hold data
on how long it takes between the Attorney’s fiat being granted and the High Court
disposing of an application made under section 13.</p>
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