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PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.

CHANGES

HANGES in the law, and the exhaustion of the previous editions of this work, have made a third edition necessary. The former editions were intended for use in the Province of Ontario only, but this one is adapted to all the Provinces and Territories of the Dominion of Canada, and to the Colony of Newfoundland. The Coroners' law in all these places has been brought down to the present time, and it is hoped the work will be found as reliable and useful in its extended field, as apparently it has hitherto been so found in the Province of Ontario.

Upon the suggestion of a Coroner, a new chapter has been added containing a programme of the ordinary proceedings at an inquest in consecutive order, with many of the forms required as the inquest proceeds, printed in their proper places, and the others referred to by their numbers in the appendix. With the chapter open before him while holding an inquest, no Coroner need ever be at a loss to know what next to do, and it is believed this programme will be found a convenient and valuable addition to the book.

The general arrangement, and much of the text, as in the former editions is taken from the well known English work on the same subject by the late Chief Justice Jervis; and the medico-legal portions have been largely taken verbatim et literatim from the authors referred to in the notes.

When using this edition outside of Ontario, the reader must refer to the end of each section to see if there are

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PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.

any statutory alterations of the law applicable to the particular place he is interested in; and he must also bear in mind that any statements of the law which are supported by the citation of provincial statutes, are only applicable to that Province by which such statutes were passed.

No general list of cases is given, but the principal cases referred to will be found in the index.

I desire to express my appreciation of the valuable assistance I received in the preparation of this edition from my nephew George B. Nicol, Barrister-at law, and my son W. Alves Boys, Barrister-at-law, by their making numerous extracts for me from books in Osgoode Hall: and also from my nephew Douglas M. Stewart, studentat-law, by important help given to me in reading the printers' proof sheets.

BARRIE, 1893.

W. B.

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