Coroner faces costs bill over burial policy case
A CORONER whose “unlawful, irrational and discriminatory” burial policy outraged Muslims and Jews has been ordered to pay her challengers at least £68,000 in legal fees.
Mary Hassell, the senior coroner for Inner North London, employed a “cab rank” rule, refusing to prioritise any death on the grounds of the religion of the deceased or their family.
After a challenge by the Adath Yisroel Burial Society (AYBS) and Ita Cymerman, the High Court ruled against the coroner in April, saying her policy was “incapable of rational justification”.
On Monday, Lord Justice Singh and Mrs Justice Whipple ordered Ms Hassell to pay the costs of AYBS and Mrs Cymerman.
Ms Hassell’s jurisdiction covers boroughs which are home to some of the UK’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities. Observant Jews and Muslims are required to bury the deceased as soon as possible.
Ms Hassell must pay £68,000 within 21 days while the final, full costs are calculated. The JC understands the total will be significantly higher than the sum announced this week.
Camden Council will pay Ms Has- sell’s costs from public funds.
Councillor Abdul Hai, Camden’s cabinet member for cohesion, said he was “outraged” that the legal costs will be covered to defend a policy “that many residents fundamentally disagreed with”.
Ms Hassell informed AYBS of her burial policy last October. She refused to change it, despite a number of requests for her to do so.
In March, Judge Mark Lucraft, the chief coroner of England and Wales, branding her conduct “unlawful”.
Marie van der Zyl, Board of Deputies president, welcomed the costs decision, pointing out that North London residents had spent “more than £250,000 in legal fees” challenging the policy.
Meanwhile the JC has
Lord Justice Singh seen a letter, submitted by Ms Hassell to support her defence, which criticises Hackney’s strictly Orthodox community for “causing extended conflict and chaos”.
The JC has also seen an email sent by Ms Hassell to Judge Lucraft last October in which she claimed “everything stops when we have a Jewish death and it has the capacity to cause real hardship.
“I’m afraid my team and the mortuary staff have had a horrid week. “They feel abused and upset and I think I must try to protect them from what does amount to bullying.” Members of the public have meanwhile been invited to a meeting on July 5 at Camden Council as part of a consultation into a revised burial policy. The JC understands Ms Hassell has already received more than 1,000 written submissions. Her office did not respond to requests for a comment on this week’s events.
Everything stops when we have a Jewish death’