1. This Order may be cited as the East Sussex (Coroners) Order 1997 and shall come into force on 1st April 1997.

2.-(1) The Eastern East Sussex Coroner's District and the Western East Sussex Coroner's District shall be abolished.

(2) The person who, at 31st March 1997, is the coroner for the existing Eastern East Sussex Coroner's District shall be deemed on 1st April 1997 to be appointed coroner for the County of East Sussex.

(3) Any person who, at 31st March 1997, is a deputy or assistant deputy coroner for the existing Eastern East Sussex Coroner's District shall be deemed on 1st April 1997 to be appointed deputy or, as the case may be, assistant deputy coroner for the County of East Sussex.

3.-(1) On 1st April 1997, any process issued, order made, direction given, inquest begun or other thing done by or to the coroner for the existing Eastern East Sussex Coroner's District or the coroner for the existing Western East Sussex Coroner's District shall be deemed to have been issued, made, given, begun or done by or to the coroner for the County of East Sussex.

(2) All documents, exhibits, registers and other things in the custody of the coroner for the existing Eastern East Sussex Coroner's District or the coroner for the Western East Sussex Coroner's District in connection with inquests or post-mortem investigations shall be transferred to the coroner for the County of East Sussex.

(3) In this article "coroner" includes any deputy coroner or assistant deputy coroner.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order makes provision about coroners in consequence of the provisions of the East Sussex (Boroughs of Brighton and Hove) (Structural Change) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/1770) which comes into force on 1st April 1997. The effect of those provisions is described below.

Article 3 of that Order creates a new District of Brighton and Hove which, by virtue of article 5(1), ceases to be part of the County of East Sussex or to be subject to orders under section 4(2) of the Coroners Act 1988 by East Sussex County Council. Under article 5(2) of that Order, the new District becomes a County; under article 4, the functions of the East Sussex County Council in relation to the new District are transferred to the Council of the District of Brighton and Hove. As the relevant council under section 1 of the Coroners Act 1988, as substituted by S.I. 1996/655, that Council is responsible for the appointment of coroners for that area and also has other functions in connection with coroners under that Act.

Article 2(1) of this Order abolishes the two coroner's districts, Western East Sussex and Eastern East Sussex. There will instead be a single coroner for the County of East Sussex. Article 2(2) provides for the person who, on 31st March 1997, holds the office of coroner for Eastern East Sussex to continue as coroner for the County of East Sussex.

Article 3 makes transitional arrangements to ensure continuity as respects the coroner for the County of East Sussex.