Sir Peter Ribblesdale Thornton KC (born 17 October 1946[1]) is a former Senior Circuit Judge and former Chief Coroner of England and Wales.
[3] His trial and appellate practice included work in various jurisdictions, such as the Isle of Man and Bermuda, and appearances pro bono in death penalty cases before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (which serves as a court of last resort for some Commonwealth realms).
[6] In 2011, having been specially appointed Assistant Deputy Coroner, he presided over the inquest into the death of Ian Tomlinson, who died during protests at the 2009 G20 Summit in London.
In that capacity he continued to sit on the Administrative Court so he could hear judicial reviews for coronial cases.
[11] In November 2020 Thornton was appointed to the Independent Expert Panel which investigates misdemeanours by MPs[12] In 1981, he married Susan Margaret Dalal; they have a son and a daughter.