- inquest
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in·quest /'in-ˌkwest/ n [Anglo-French enqueste, from Old French, ultimately from Latin inquirere to ask about, from in- within, into + quaerere to seek]1: a judicial or official inquiry or examination often before a jurya coroner's inquest compare trial2: a body of people (as a jury) assembled to hold a judicial or official inquiry; also: the finding of such an inquiry or the document recording it
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- inquest
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I
noun
determination of damages, examination, hearing, inquiry, interrogation, investigation, judicial inquiry, legal investigation, quaestio, quest, questioning, review, search, search into facts
associated concepts: assessment of damages, civil inquest, coroner's inquest
II
index
cross-examination, examination (study), hearing, indagation, inquiry (systematic investigation), inspection, interrogation, pursuit (chase), research, scrutiny, test, trial (legal proceeding)
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
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n.A judicial investigation into the facts surrounding a death, conducted by a coroner or medical examiner; a court’s inquiry into the facts surrounding an incident, often made by a jury; sometimes called an inquisition.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
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an official examination of facts. In the UK (except Scotland) the inquiry presided over by a coroner into the cause of death of an individual.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
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A coroner or medical examiner's investigation or hearing into a suspicious death. A jury hearing may be held under some circumstances.Category: Criminal LawCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
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n.1 An inquiry into a suspicious death conducted by a coroner or medical examiner.2 An inquiry into a particular subject matter by a special jury.3 A judge's determination of damages after a defendant's default.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
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An inquiry by a coroner or medical examiner, sometimes with the aid of a jury, into the cause of a violent death or a death occurring under suspicious circumstances. Generally an inquest may result in a finding of natural death, accidental death, suicide, or murder. Criminal prosecution may follow when culpable conduct has contributed to the death.The body of jurors called to inquire into the circumstances of a death that occurred suddenly, by violence, or while imprisoned. Any body of jurors called to inquire into certain matters. (A grand jury is sometimes called a grand inquest, for example.) The determination or findings of a body of persons called to make a legal inquiry or the report issued after their investigation.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- inquest
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An inquiry by a coroner or medical examiner, sometimes with the aid of a jury, into the cause of a violent death or a death occurring under suspicious circumstances. Generally an inquest may result in a finding of natural death, accidental death, suicide, or murder. Criminal prosecution may follow when culpable conduct has contributed to the death.The body of jurors called to inquire into the circumstances of a death that occurred suddenly, by violence, or while imprisoned. Any body of jurors called to inquire into certain matters. (A grand jury is sometimes called a grand inquest, for example.) The determination or findings of a body of persons called to make a legal inquiry or the report issued after their investigation.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- inquest
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n.1) an investigation and/or a hearing held by the coroner (a county official) when there is a violent death either by accident or homicide, the cause of death is not immediately clear, there are mysterious circumstances surrounding the death, or the deceased was a prisoner. Usually an autopsy by a qualified medical examiner from the coroner's office is a key part of the inquest. In rare cases a jury may be used to determine the cause of death.2) a term used in New York for a hearing on the validity of a will by a surrogate judge.See also: coroner
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
