A young Manchester solicitor who qualified just six years ago has become what his firm reckons is the “youngest coroner in the country”.
Zak Golombeck is one of the youngest holders of a coronial post in England and Wales after securing a new role as Her Majesty’s Assistant Coroner.
The clinical negligence and human rights specialist who graduated from Leeds University, is based at the Manchester office of Slater and Gordon.
He regular acts for people who have lost loved ones as a result of medical negligence, including neonatal deaths, and regularly represents families at inquests.
In a statement he said:
“I’ve been representing families at inquests since I started. I’ve always been very interested in the role of a coroner and always hoped I would become one at some point — I just never thought it would happen this early!”
Golombeck told the Law Gazette that he hopes to use his new role to make the difficult experience of attending inquests less distressing for relatives of the deceased. He said
“It’s important that they feel confident enough to ask questions if they need to, or if they aren’t following what’s going on because of all the legal and medical terminology that is often used.
‘A coroner’s role is obviously to find out how a person died, but it’s also to guide families through the process in the most sensitive way possible and make sure they get that sense of closure that an inquest should bring. Inquests are crucial in helping us learn lessons for the future and I am really excited to play my part in that.’
