By Carole Dennett
Isle of Wight coroner Caroline Sumeray has not responded to requests for comment after new evidence has revealed that she instructed solicitors to issue legal threats based on information she knew was untrue.
In August we received a threatening letter from top London lawyers, Kingsley Napley, following our report that allegations of bullying had been made against the coroner. They wrote saying: “You did not, at any stage, put this allegation of bullying to our client.” That was untrue, but when we responded with evidence supporting our position, they failed to reply.
Now documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that Ms Sumeray not only knew that we had raised the bullying allegations, her solicitors were in contact with the IW Council about the claims before the article was published.
The Guide to Judicial Conduct states that office holders “should not act in a way, even in their private or family life, which could… cast doubt on their independence, impartiality or integrity,” so we contacted the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO). The JCIO refused to investigate.
Despite the requirement for the coroner to act with integrity at all times, they decided that Ms Sumeray’s decision to instruct solicitors based on information she knew was untrue was “a private matter” – even though it concerned allegations that she bullied staff at work.
In contrast, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which has rules against abusing the legal process to intimidate and silence critics, has confirmed the allegations are “serious enough to warrant further investigation.”
Concerns about how complaints against the coroner have been handled extend beyond this case – and in far more serious circumstances. Bereaved families have told us that when they tried to raise complaints with court staff in the coroner’s office, they were redirected to Ms Sumeray herself – bypassing proper complaint procedures.
Families were also not told about the existence of the JCIO – which has the power to formally investigate the coroner – unlike the IW Council. In at least one instance, a grieving relative discovered only through our reporting that the JCIO could investigate concerns, but her complaint was ruled out of time, due to lack of proper guidance at the outset.
The Isle of Wight Council has been approached for a comment.
