A top-level investigation is still going on into a series of complaints about suspended Bradford Coroner Dr Peter Straker.

The Office for Judicial Complaints aimed to have completed its inquiry within 90 days but that time has now passed with still no decision made on Dr Straker’s future.

He was suspended in February while the investigations took place and Professor Paul Marks stepped into his role covering West Yorkshire’s western district.

The Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice will be responsible for deciding whether the complaints against Dr Straker can be upheld and if any disciplinary action is necessary.

Although a spokesman for the Office for Judicial Complaints confirmed the investigation process was continuing, she said there would be no further comment until a final decision was made.

She would not give an expected time-frame for any conclusion but did say the length of such inquiries depended on representations being made. It is understood by the Telegraph & Argus that Dr Straker is challenging the complaints.

The complaints being considered by the investigation team include an allegation that he arranged a cab driver to transport confidential medical and police records in an unsecured supermarket carrier bag between two coroner’s courts.

And it has been claimed he instructed those deputising for him not to return verdicts of suicide or misadventure even if the facts proved such conclusions were appropriate.

Other allegations against him include that he:

  • has problems with his short term memory, allegedly sometimes having more than a dozen conversations with people where he asked the same question
  • completed forms citing causes of death which were not supported by the available evidence
  • was unprofessional in the way he revoked the appointments of three of his five Assistant Deputy Coroners and appointed a Deputy Coroner
  • effectively left his area of jurisdiction uncovered by a Deputy Coroner as the remaining ADCs could not provide proper cover due to having jobs in London and the north east.

In addition, the Office for Judicial Complaints asked for more information regarding allegations that Dr Straker displayed inappropriate behaviour in court, exercised poor judgment and delegated judicial procedures to administration staff.

In March leaders of an Indian-Muslim Welfare Society handed in a 5,000-name petition to Bradford Council leader Councillor David Green listing complaints about Dr Straker’s handling of some inquests across Kirklees and Calderdale where they said there had been “unnecessary obstacles and delays” to burials because of him being “inflexible and insensitive”. The petition was forwarded to the case investigators.