David Masters, the Wiltshire coroner, today joins the list of heroic coroners (headed by Andrew Walker) who are prepared to say to government and the military:
"UP WITH THIS WE WILL NOT PUT" Samples from the coroner's findings as reported in today's London Times:
"The system in place failed the captain and crew of that aircraft and this should never be allowed to happen again."10 British servicemen died when their Hercules transport exploded. The details are readily available elsewhere.
"The stance taken by the US is difficult to comprehend."
"I just wonder, as an aside, what if the boot had been on the other foot - if a US aircraft had come down with the loss of 10 lives and the only eye-witnesses had been British forces?”
Both the UK and US are criticised but the RAF stands indicted for "serious systemic failures."
My focus is on the independence of coroners to say things the government does not like.
Will David Masters suffer the same fate as Andrew Walker?
The problem is that coroners are far more easily removed (or, transferred sideways - ha, ha) than judges if the government does not like what they say. See the reference to Andrew Walker above and here.
OPINION:
The UK government's record is disgraceful. If they can can get rid of a judicial officer whose decisions they do not like then they will.
PROPOSITION:
Coroners need equal protection from arbitrary government interference as do judges.
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