To add, in the United States, coroners and forensic doctors share the same role of investigating the causes and manner of death and signing death certificates, but their qualifications are different.
The coroner's system originated from Medieval England and represents an office extending from that era. Coroners are appointed by the government or elected locally and do not need a medical degree. However, in the United States, many coroners are indeed forensic pathologists, emphasizing professionalism.
Forensic doctors, on the other hand, are usually appointed by the government as forensic pathology experts, or some are recommended by local medical institutions and must have a medical degree.
Different states have their own definitions for coroner and forensic systems. Arkansas, a conservative state, still retains the coroner system, while most states have replaced coroners with a forensic system.
