Coroners Act 1275

STATUTUM WEST' PRIMUM. The Statute of WESTMINSTER, the First, Made at Westminster 25 die Aprilis, Anno 3 EDWARDI I. and Anno Dom. 1275.

Coroners Act 1275

1275 (3 Edw. 1) C A P. X.

THESE be the Acts of King EDWARD, Son to King HENRY, made at Westminster at his first Parliament general after his Coronation, on the Mondayof Easter Utas, the third Year of his Reign, by his Council, and the Assent of Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, Earls, Barons, and all the Commonalty of the Realm being thither summoned, because our Lord the King had great Zeal and Desire to redress the State of the Realm in such Things as required Amendment, for the common Profit of holy Church, and of the Realm: And because the State of the holy Church had been evil kept, and the Prelates and religious Persons of the Land grieved many ways, and the People otherwise intreated than they ought to be, and the Peace less kept, and the Laws less used, and the Offenders less punished than they ought to be, by reason where of the People of the Land feared the less to offend; the King hath ordained and established these Acts underwritten, which he intendeth to be necessary and profitable unto the whole Realm.

What sort of Men shall be Coroners. Sheriffs shall have Counter-Rolls with them.

''Enforced by 28 Ed. 3. c. 6.'' Coroners shall take nothing. ''4 H. 6. 15. 4 Ed. 1. stat. 2. Officium Coronat. 2 Inst. 174. Altered by 3 H. 7. c. 1. which gives Fees to the Coroners; and see 1 H. 8. c. 7. which alters the 3 H. 7. Likewise 1 & 2 P. & M. c. 13. §. 5. and 25 Geo. 2. c. 29. giving Directions with respect to the Duty of Coroners.'' AND forasmuch as mean Persons, and undiscreet, now of late are commonly chosen to the Office of Coroners, where it is requisite that Persons honest, lawful, and wise, should occupy such Offices:"'it is provided, That through all Shires sufficient Men shall be chosen to be Coroners, of the most wise and discreet Knights, which know, will, and may best attend upon such Offices, and which lawfully shall attach and present Pleas of the Crown;

(2) and that Sheriffs shall have Counter-Rolls with the Coroners, as well of Appeals, as of Enquests, of Attachments, or of other Things which to that Office belong;

(3) and that no Coroner demand nor take any Thing of any Man to do his Office, upon pain of great Forfeiture to the King.'

Note : this act is listed in the Chronological Table of Statutes as the Coroners Act, 1275