Amy Winehouse Inquest To Be Reheard After Resignation of North London Coroner

Amy Winehouse Inquest To Be Reheard

An inquest into the death of Amy Winehouse will be reheard, after it emerged the coroner who oversaw the original investigation was not properly qualified to be in post.

Speaking on Monday morning, a Camden council spokesperson told The Huffington Post UK the inquest will be reheard in January 2013.

The news came after last week's resignation of Dr Andrew Reid, the coroner for North London. Dr Reid's wife, former assistant deputy coroner Suzanne Greenaway was found to have been in breach of guidelines for appointments.

Amy Winehouse's inquest - which was originally heard in 2011 - will be reheard

Greenaway had originally recorded a verdict of death by misadventure in October 2011. A month later, she resigned after questions about her qualifications for the role emerged.

According to the BBC, she had not been a lawyer in Britain for five years, after qualifying in Australia.

She conducted 12 inquests during her appointment.

Dr Reid, who resigned before an inquiry into his appointment of his wife had finished, said he believed his wife had "satisfied the requirements of the post".

“I believed at the time that her experience as a solicitor and barrister in Australia satisfied the requirements of the post," he said, according to the Camden New Journal.

"In November of last year it became apparent that I had made an error in the appointment process and I accepted her resignation.”

A spokesman for the Winehouse family said: "The family were happy with the way the original inquest was conducted and did not request it to be reheard.

"This seems to be a matter of procedure and the verdict is not expected to change."

Interim Coroner for Inner North London Dr Shirley Radcliffe said: "I can confirm that an inquest into the death of Amy Winehouse will be heard at St Pancras Coroner's Court on Tuesday 8 January 2013.

"After taking the appropriate legal advice I am minded that due to the previous assistant deputy Coroner's ineligibility to hold coronial office that the inquest into the death of Amy Winehouse had not technically been heard. I have therefore scheduled an inquest to take place where the evidence will be heard again in public before a judgment is made.

"Other inquests handled by Ms Greenaway have been heard again by the Coroner's Court throughout the year following consultation with the next of kin.

"While I wish to ensure that due legal process is followed I understand that these hearings have brought back many unwanted memories for the families and my sympathies are with them at this time."

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