MORE than 60 inquiries into deaths handled had been open for more than a year at the end of 2020, new figures show.

Ministry of Justice figures show 352 inquests into deaths were being dealt with by Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen coroner's service at the end of 2020.

Of those, 62 had been open for over a year, including 20 open for at least two years. That is an increase from the 57 open a year or more in 2019.

Inquests are held to investigate sudden, unnatural or violent deaths, those which are from unknown causes and those occurring where there is a legal requirement to conduct an investigation, such as in prison custody or while someone is sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

They should be completed within six months of a coroner being made aware of a death, or as soon as practically possible after that.

The Law Society said existing delays within the criminal court system, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, also impact coroner services, with inquests adjourned where they are linked to on-going investigations, prosecutions or active Crown Court cases.

President Stephanie Boyce said waiting times across England and Wales at the end of 2020 - with more than 3,250 inquests open for more than a year waiting to be processed - reflect a "general lack of investment in the justice system".

It took an average of 20 weeks for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen coroner's service to process an inquest last year, less than the national average of 27 weeks and representing a decreased processing time compared to 26 weeks in 2019.

Inquest director Deborah Coles said the figures highlighted a postcode lottery across coroner services.

She said long delays impact on the ability to grieve, adding: "As well as having a significant public function, inquests provide important answers for bereaved families.

"They are often the first opportunity they have to hear the truth about how their loved one died."

A House of Commons Justice Committee report on coroner services, published in May, also said pandemic restrictions caused considerable delays last year, as services had to account for social distancing, some struggling to accommodate juries as a result.

A MoJ spokesperson said the pandemic had posed significant challenges but praised coroners and their staff for continuing to deliver vital services.