Senior coroner Mary Hassell

• REGARDING your May 4 report about the High Court’s judgment on Mary Hassell’s “cab-rank” policy for issuing death certificates by the North London Coroner’s Office, I can say that it is not only Jews and Muslims who have suffered from her office’s delays in issuing death certificates, (Coroner ditches ‘cab-rank’ policy ruled unlawful).

My family, which is Christian, also suffered from excessive delays a few years ago. I had to get my MP to prompt her office to issue an overly delayed interim death certificate.

The excuse given for non-issue and non-communication about non-issue was that her office has a policy of not calling or leaving messages on mobile phones as if that makes sense.

In fact the impression given by phoning their office when one manages to get through is “don’t bother us”. There was a recording which says that it does not take messages and refered to an extension – for new cases only – where there was no answer when I called repeatedly.

Is it the policy of North London Coroner’s Court to avoid communication with callers, including distressed relatives, as much as possible? It appears so from my experience. Following this High Court judgment let’s hope responses will now improve.

RICKY FAIRS
Stapleton Hall Road, N4