Following the formal competitive process, Cumberland Council is pleased to announce that Ms Margaret Taylor has been appointed as the new full-time HM Area Coroner for Cumbria. Ms Taylor’s appointment has been approved by both the Chief Coroner and the Lady Chief Justice.
Ms Taylor had a long career as a partner at a leading medical healthcare law firm in Manchester, and she was also appointed as HM Assistant Coroner for Cumbria in 2018. In 2024 Ms Taylor was appointed as part-time HM Area Coroner for Blackpool and Fylde, whilst continuing to sit as HM Assistant Coroner in Cumbria on a regular basis. Ms Taylor will take up this full-time HM Area Coroner appointment in Cumbria in January 2026.
HM Area Coroner supports HM Senior Coroner and is their designated deputy and can act in their place when needed. They share the same judicial powers as the Senior Coroner.
Miss Kirsty Gomersal, HM Senior Coroner for Cumbria, said: “My congratulations to Ms Taylor on her appointment as HM Area Coroner for Cumbria. I am delighted that she will be continuing to be part of the team, but now on a full-time basis. Ms Taylor brings a wealth of experience from both private practice and her previous coronial roles, and her dedication and professionalism will help ensure the Coroners Service in Cumbria continues investigate deaths to the highest standard and to support bereaved families at one of the most difficult times in their lives. Both the Team and I wish Ms Taylor every success in the role”.
Ms Taylor said: “Cumbria is a fantastic county, and one which I enjoy both living and working in, and it has been and will continue to be a privilege to have served the county and its communities as Area Coroner. And I look forward to continuing to ensure that the deceased and the bereaved families remain firmly at the heart of the coronial process”.
