Amy Winehouse coroner's inquest to be reheard in London

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Amy Winehouse
Image caption,

Suzanne Greenaway oversaw Amy Winehouse's original inquest

The inquest into the death of singer Amy Winehouse is to be reheard after the coroner involved in the case quit.

The coroner for Inner North London resigned after an inquiry into his decision to appoint his wife without fully checking her qualifications.

Dr Andrew Scott Reid appointed Suzanne Greenaway as the assistant deputy coroner in July 2009.

She oversaw singer Winehouse's inquest, ruling that the 27-year-old died from accidental alcohol poisoning.

The new hearing is listed to take place on Tuesday 8 January at St Pancras Coroner's Court.

Winehouse was found dead at her home in Camden, north London, on 23 July 2011.

Qualified in Australia

Ms Greenaway returned a verdict of death by misadventure, in October 2011.

During her time as deputy assistant coroner, Ms Greenaway conducted 12 inquests in Camden, including one in to Winehouse's death.

Camden council could not confirm if the other 11 inquests Ms Greenaway oversaw in Camden would be reheld, saying it would depend on the families' requests.

Ms Greenaway resigned in November last year because she had not been a lawyer in the UK for the required five years.

Dr Reid stepped down from judicial office on 7 December 2012, before the disciplinary process by the Office for Judicial Complaints was formally concluded.

Ms Greenaway qualified in Australia in 1999 and was a member of the Supreme Court there, but she had not worked as a lawyer for the required time in the UK.

According to English law, she would have needed either five years with the Law Society or five years of experience as a qualified medical practitioner. She met neither criteria.

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