Board of Deputies welcomes High Court ruling that coroner’s ‘cab rank ‘ policy is unlawful

Board of Deputies Vice President Marie van der Zyl has welcomed the decision of  the High Court to rule against  Mary Hassell, the Senior Coroner for Inner North London.

Marie said: “We welcome this decision, which will help law-abiding Jewish citizens to mourn their loved ones according to their traditions. We would particularly like to pay tribute to the Adass Yisroel Burial Society, who have served the entire community by bringing this successful legal action.

“Senior Coroner Mary Hassell must now consider her position. She has previously said that she does not believe that using her discretion to order cases, which she needs to do to uphold the religious freedom of the diverse communities she is meant to serve, is ‘fair’. If she cannot carry out this basic function of her role, she must vacate her position.

“Whatever the future for the Inner North London Coroners Service, the issues raised by this case have highlighted the lack of accountability for this public service and the pressing need for reform. “

The Board of Deputies has released a paper in which we write about potential ways forward which we hope government will consider.