Winehouse inquest
February 1, 2012
The coroner overseeing the inquest surrounding singer Amy Winehouse has resigned after it was discovered she was not a registered UK lawyer for five years prior to her appointment, officials said Wednesday.
Suzanne Greenaway resigned in November last year, but details of her departure were only made public on Wednesday. Greenaway's resignation raises the possibility that the coronial investigation into the cause of Winehouse's death may need to be repeated, along with 12 others Greenaway performed while in the position.
Greenaway was appointed assistant deputy coroner by her husband, Andrew Reid, in 2009. Her qualifications as a practicing Australian legal practitioner for 10 years meant she did not fulfill the requirements to hold the position.
In a statement, Reid said he "believed at the time that her experience as a solicitor and barrister in Australia satisfied the requirements of the post… In November of last year it became apparent that I had made an error in the appointment process and I accepted her resignation."
No laws were broken in appointing his wife to the position, but professional guidelines may have been breached. The local authority, Camden Council, said it was confident Reid "had made an error in good faith" when appointing his spouse, but said the matter was being considered by Britain's Office for Judicial Complaints.
Winehouse's family said "they were still absorbing the implications of the news and were seeking legal advice."
In October, Greenaway ruled the soul singer who was found dead in her London home in July, had died from accidental alcohol poisoning.
jw/acb (AP, Reuters)