Relational legal consciousness and the mobilization of the law of the inquest in England and Wales

This article explores the legal consciousness of bereaved people in contact with the coronial system in England and Wales, drawing on an interview-based empirical study. Informed by socio-legal scholarship on relational dimensions of legal consciousness and citizens’ mobilization of the law, the article analyses the relationships within and through which bereaved people mobilize the law of the inquest in pursuit of change. Three key relational approaches to mobilization are identified: the bereaved act for others, including the deceased, wider family, and other bereaved people; they act collaboratively with others, including family, friends, and professionals; and they act upon others in challenging professional and institutional practices and wider structures deemed to be implicated in the death. This study represents the first application, as far as we are aware, of the concept of legal consciousness to the coronial jurisdiction. It thereby contributes to understanding of the dynamic and interactive co-creation of legal consciousness in high-stakes legal encounters.