Amy Winehouse Death Inquest Could be Ruled Illegal

Amy Winehouse's July 23 death was ruled "death by misadventure" and an "unintended consequence" of consuming too much alcohol, according to the findings of a coroner. Just when we thought Mitch Winehouse and his family, as well as the singer's fans, would be able to achieve some closure over her death at 27, some shocking and disturbing news surrounding the inquest has been revealed. Turns out coroner Suzanne Greenaway does not have the qualifications and requirements necessary to have performed the inquest and it may ultimately be ruled invalid as a result!

According to WENN, Greenaway quit her job a mother after completing the Winehouse investigation since she did not fit the guidelines necessary to hold the post. According to the rules, she needed to have been a solicitor in the Law Society for at least five years, but she had only been part of the organization for two-and-a-half. Greenaway should also have served five years as a “qualified medical practitioner" but her previous experience was that of a nurse.

This news begs the question: How did she get the gig if she did not have the proper resume and pedigree? Was someone asleep at the wheel? Given a death as high profile and under such mysterious circumstances as that of Winehouse, this certainly raises a lot of questions about the coroner's office that conducted the inquest.

It turns out that it may have been a case of nepotism, as Greenaway's husband, Inner North London Coroner Dr. Andrew Scott Reid, was the person who appointed her to the role. He told The Sun that "in November, it became apparent I’d made an error in the appointment process. While I am confident that all of the inquests handled were done so correctly, I apologize if this matter causes distress."

Jeeze, that's not very comforting, Andrew! Sounds like he is trying to deflect criticism and spin his mistake into something not that bad in the media.

This inquest, as well as others Greenaway worked on, could now be declared illegal if the verdicts she recorded are challenged in the High Court. Knowing Mitch Winehouse's crusade for his daughter to preserve her memory, we wouldn't be surprised if he tried to challenge her verdict.