Christopher Sharp QC
Call 1975 (Inner Temple) (QC 1999)
Qualifications MA (Oxon), Visiting Fellow, University of the West of England, Bristol
Professional Memberships Member of the Personal Injury Bar Association, Member of the Professional Negligence Bar Association
Judicial Office Recorder 2004
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Area of Practice
Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence
One of the leading Personal Injury Silks on Circuit, his practice encompasses both claimant and defendant work, and he is instructed in all areas of PI and Clinical Negligence. He works primarily in the South West, Wales, Midlands and London; although he is called upon and is happy to travel further afield. He accepts CFA cases.
The majority of his work involves multi-million pound catastrophic injury cases that very often contain complex medical causation and long-term care plan issues. He is experienced in negotiating solutions to funding problems involving indemnities or other facilitiative outcomes.
As a result of his known expertise in family law, he is also instructed in PI and clinical negligence cases where an ensuing divorce will lead to complicated arguments over the distribution of damages awards in which consequential issues arise over care packages.
Christopher has wide experience of the appellate courts not only in the Court of Appeal but also the House of Lords, with numerous reported decisions
Christopher is known to be terrifically hard working; he has a reputation for being able to provide swift responses to requests for advice where the papers are voluminous and the timescales are short. As a result, he is regularly brought in at short notice to advise in consultation and to take part in roundtable discussions at critical junctures in large cases. He is also well-known for being an astute tactician and a skilled cross-examiner in court.
Although a senior Silk, he is always accessible to his instructing solicitors and sees his role very much as being a part of a team rather than operating in splendid isolation.
Reported Cases
- Poppleton v Trustees of the Portsmouth Youth Activities Committee [2008] EWCA Civ 646, [2007] EWHC 1567 (QB) (Tetraplegia sustained in a fall from a climbing wall, negligence of activities centre)
- ‘A’ v Hoare [2008] 2 WLR 311, House of Lords, [2006] 1 WLR 2320 (Court of Appeal): Limitation period and Human Rights in claim for sexual assault
- Leeson v Marsden and others [2005] CA: conjoined appeal re service and extension of time (clinical negligence) [2006] 1 WLR 1945
- B v B [2005] EWCA 237: lifting stay in sexual abuse claim
- Stimpson v Excel Logistics and others [2004] EWCA Civ 1249: causation in product liability
- Nineham v Glynwed International Ltd [2004] QBD (Brain damage: bottom up structured settlement)
- Mirvahedy v Henley [2003] HoL; [2002] CA (Animals Act 1971)
- Irwin v Stevenson [2002] CA (Road Traffic Accident: successful insurers’ appeal)
- Shergold v Smith [2001] QBD (multiple injury/pensions: quantum)
- Mutch v Allen [2001] CA (CPR Part 35 Experts’ evidence)
- BRI Children Heart Inquiry [1999/2000] Counsel to the Surgeons’ Support Group
- Giblett v Murray [1999] CA (Psychiatric Injury)
- Fearon v Dunlop [1999] CA (Product Liability) reported as Carroll v Fearon
- Cook v Square D Ltd [1992] CA (overseas injury: employers liability)
Recommendations
Chambers UK 2010
- Christopher Sharp QC, who is held in high esteem by solicitors and barristers for his “thorough and effective approach to cases.”
Chambers UK 2009
- Christopher Sharp QC “has the ability to simply cut to the point without indulging in superfluous pleadings or orating for the benefit of demonstrating his ability to do so.” He is “deeply incisive in argument and his preparation is impeccable.” Excelling in catastrophic injury cases and complex medical causation issues, Sharp is “able to communicate extremely complex points of law accurately but in terms that the lay client can understand.”
Legal 500
- Legal 500 (recommended for both Claimant and Defendant)
Articles
- ‘Does the Animals Act 1971 need amending?’ [with Richard Stead] (2006/7) Personal Injury Law Journal
- ‘Advocates’ Immunity in Common Law Jurisdictions’ [with Jody Atkinson] NZLJ – Nov 2006
- Out of Service – NLJ: March 2006
- Pro-active Settlement in Practice – The Personal Injury Law Journal (July 2004)
- Normal Abnormality? Liability for Straying Horses Under the Animals Act 1971: published Sept. 2003 [2003] JPIL Issue 3/03 p172
