Forensic medicine expert named new coroner

Prof Paul Marks, currently Deputy Coroner in West Yorkshire (Western District), will take up his post on Monday, December 10.

His appointment follows the announcement of the forthcoming retirement of current Hull and East Riding coroner Geoffrey Saul, who will leave on December 31 
after 15 years’ service.

Trish Dalby, corporate director for neighbourhood and families at Hull Council, said: “Together with the East Riding of Yorkshire Council we are extremely pleased to offer the post of HM Coroner to Professor Marks.

“Paul has a wealth of medical knowledge and experience in coronial law, particularly in his roles as Acting HM Coroner for Bradford, Deputy Coroner for West Yorkshire and Assistant Deputy Coroner for York.

“We are looking forward to welcoming Professor Marks to the Hull and East Riding District.”

Prof Marks was born in London and educated at Chigwell School in Essex. He trained in neurosurgery in Cambridge and London and has been a consultant neurosurgeon since 1990, initially in New Zealand where he was Reader in Surgery at the University of Auckland, and subsequently in Leeds.

He has a long-held interest in forensic medicine and worked for a year as a pathologist. He later read law at Cardiff Law School and then trained as an arbitrator and mediator.

Since 2005 he has been Deputy Coroner in West Yorkshire (Western District). His legal interests include Coronial Law, legal education for medical practitioners, end of life issues and the use of alternative dispute resolution in clinical negligence claims.

A coroner confirms and certifies deaths and holds inquests to try to establish the facts surrounding a person’s death in some cases when the death is deemed to need further investigation.

The coroner’s court is one of the oldest in the land and the role dates back to the 11th century.