University of Bolton launches UK’s first online Coronial Law Master’s programme

A new Master’s programme in Coronial Law, the only one of its kind in the UK, has been launched by the University of Bolton.

The part-time postgraduate course in the University’s Centre for Contemporary Coronial Law will be delivered online only, giving the opportunity for students from all over the world to sign up.

The programme starts on 29 January 2024 and will feature lectures from some of the most eminent figures in the sector, including:

● Professor Alan Walsh, HM Coroner for Greater Manchester West
● Professor Christopher Dorries OBE, former HM Coroner for South Yorkshire (West)
● Alan Wilson, HM Senior Coroner for Blackpool and Fylde
● Professor Alan Fletcher, National Medical Examiner for NHS England
● Professor George Fernie, Senior Medical Reviewer, Healthcare Improvement Scotland
● Rachael Griffin, Senior Coroner for Dorset

The principal aims of the programme are to enable students to specialise in subjects related to Coronial Law and to equip them with advanced knowledge and skills in the field.

It will also focus on strategies for personal and professional development, and employability skills are incorporated throughout the curriculum.

It consists of eight modules: Introduction to Coronial Law; Medical Aspects of Death Investigation; Social, Cultural and Historical Contexts of Coronial Law; Human Rights and Coronial Law; Current Issues and Challenges in Coronial Law; Organisational Management in the Coroner's Services; Medico-Legal Research Methods and a dissertation.

Visiting Professor Christopher Dorries said: “This promises to be an exceptional and unique programme, with contributions from renowned experts in relevant fields. It will be intensely practical, yet with ample opportunity for academic development.

“The Centre for Contemporary Coronial Law has built an excellent reputation on its ‘Short Course on Coronial Law’ and the Master’s course will develop this reputation further.

“As far as I am aware, this is the only course of its nature in the world – so that is ground-breaking. It will provide students with a wealth of practical and academic material for study and personal research enabling a rich understanding of this increasingly important field of law.”

University of Bolton Registrar, Dr Sue Duncan, who is also HM Assistant Coroner for Manchester West, said: “We are very proud and excited to be launching this innovative and unique Master’s programme in Coronial Law.

“The University of Bolton’s Centre for Contemporary Coronial Law is highly regarded and respected by the entire sector and the online short courses we deliver attract attendees from far and wide.

“This Master’s programme gives students from all over the world the chance to learn in-depth the fascinating and complex area that is Coronial Law and we are delighted to be able to offer it.”

Professor George Homes DL, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Bolton, said: “This national Master’s programme has its roots in the establishment of this unique Centre in 2016 by the late, great Professor Jennifer Leeming, former Senior Coroner for Manchester West.

“The University of Bolton is delighted to see this further expansion within its offering and is committed to long-term future investment in this vital field of work. We are indebted to the senior professionals in this key sector who have contributed to this new Master’s programme.”

The University of Bolton is now ranked 30th in the Guardian Guide of the best universities in the UK, having moved up eight places after last year being placed 38th. It is the highest placed 'post-92' university in the whole of the UK.

The Guardian league tables rank universities through eight different scores which form a total out of 100. This includes what students say about their teaching, feedback and the course itself in the annual National Student Survey (NSS).

The University also recently retained its Silver status in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and achieved Gold in Student Experience.

To find out more about the new Master’s programme in Coronial Law at the University of Bolton, please visit: Coronial Law (bolton.ac.uk)