A CORONER erred in leaving a verdict of 'natural causes aggravated by lack of care' to a jury over the death of a boy just eight hours after his birth, it was claimed yesterday.
It appeared the coroner had confused 'lack of care' with pure negligence which could give rise to civil liability, Michael Thomas, QC, appearing for the Hospital Authority, told the High Court.
It was not the function of a jury in an inquest to allocate blame to anyone, he argued before Mr Justice Barnett in an application for a judicial review.
The Hospital Authority, representing a number of hospitals including the United Christian Hospital, was asking for a declaration that Coroner Rodney Venning erred in law in his direction to the jury.
It also sought an order to quash the verdict in part by deleting the words 'aggravated by lack of care' - leaving death by natural causes.
The dead child's parents, railway station manager Chan Wai-wa, 30, and his wife, civil servant Ng Wai-ling, 29, appeared in court to support the verdict.
