In the inquests and inquiries space, recent instructions for St John’s Chambers’ team include acting for the families of the deceased, local health boards, prisons, and care homes.”

Legal 500 2022, Inquests and Inquiries

At St John’s Chambers we have a highly specialist Inquest team who, with members of our clinical negligence, personal injury and regulatory teams, regularly undertake inquest work.  Our team has a significant breadth of experience in inquest and public inquiry work, providing expertise at all levels of seniority. Our barristers provide first-class guidance, support, advice and representation throughout the whole inquest process.

We act for all types of interested person including:

  • Bereaved family / loved ones
  • NHS Trusts
  • Emergency services including police authorities and individual officers
  • Prisons including private prisons
  • Agencies suspected of being involved in a death including local authorities
  • Private companies including private care homes

Members of our specialist inquest team have extensive experience in dealing with complex and long-running inquests, often where Article 2 of the ECHR is engaged and frequently involving a jury. Such cases include deaths in custody, death following police restraint or contact, prison deaths, military deaths, and deaths where the deceased was vulnerable perhaps by reason of age or mental illness and was under the care of the state in some way.

Within our specialist inquest team we have regulatory and disciplinary barristers who appreciate the importance of giving proper advice to potential witnesses who may be at risk of prosecution and/or whose activities may be called into question. We understand the significance of the evidence that is given at such proceedings, most particularly as it may relate to prosecutions under health and safety regulations or road traffic provisions.

We have experience of emergency judicial review applications and judicial review under health and safety regulations as well as how best to use evidence elicited at inquest in subsequent criminal and civil proceedings.

Our team boasts specialist advocates with expertise in personal injury and clinical negligence matters, who understand the importance and implications of an inquest finding on a potential future claim. In the context of a death in hospital or a death related to medical care, specialist clinical negligence barristers in our team will provide a level of expertise from the early stages of an inquest to any potential future claim for damages. Likewise, in any future possible fatal accident claim, our team has a full depth of knowledge to be able to provide the advice and representation needed.

The team thoroughly understand the nuances of the Coronial process, the nature of advocacy required at these hearings and the related procedure.
Under the public access scheme, our Inquest team can either provide full representation at the inquest, or give advice and legal support to family members who wish to represent themselves.

We will always consider alternative funding arrangements, including fixed or capped fees where this is appropriate.

Training

We are committed to providing training to the wider legal and medical communities, and we design and deliver many seminars and workshops; we are always happy to provide bespoke training to meet your team’s individual needs. Please contact our clerks, to discuss the extensive portfolio of workshops and bespoke seminars that we offer clients.

Inquests & Public Inquiries Team

Richard Stead

  • Call: 1979

Richard represents interested parties at Inquests and Inquiries. He provides guidance, advice and representation throughout the whole Inquest process and regularly acts in cases where deaths has resulted from either a fatal workplace accidents or industrial disease. Recent...

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Andrew McLaughlin

Andrew McLaughlin

  • Call: 1993

Andrew is a leading junior in the fields of personal injury and inquests. He regularly appears at inquests which often influence the decision as to whether or not to prosecute, and if so whom, and advises on plea,...

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Matthew White

Matthew White

  • Call: 1997

Matthew has undertaken many substantial inquests (generally 1 to 4 weeks in length), invariably Article 2 inquests concerning public authorities. He has dealt with many death in custody inquests. Routine shorter inquests include those that tend to precede...

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Julian Horne

Julian Horne

  • Call: 1998

Julian is an experienced personal injury barrister with expertise across the field. He has a broad range of experience with fatal accident claims and has represented both potential claimants and other interested parties at inquests.

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Rachel Russell

Rachel Russell

  • Call: 2001

Rachel is a highly experienced inquest barrister and has represented all types of interested persons including families of the deceased. Rachel has had conduct of a number of high profile inquests that have attracted national press attention.  This...

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Louise Asprey

Louise Asprey

  • Call: 2007

Louise regularly represents interested persons, both families and others with a relevant interest, in the Coroner’s Court. She is pleased to accept instructions from any interested person involved in these proceedings which can, by their very nature, be...

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Patrick West website

Patrick West

  • Call: 2007

Patrick has represented interested parties including families, insurers, and health authorities, at all stages up to and including inquest. Recent instructions have included inquests into the death of a woman who died following an oxygen bottle fire in...

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Ben Handy

Ben Handy

  • Call: 2008

Ben has represented interested parties, including families, insurers, health authorities and prison authorities, throughout the inquest process. Recent instructions have included inquests into drug-related deaths in prison, suicide during unsupervised leave from a mental health unit, and death...

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James Hughes

  • Call: 2011

James has experience of acting for families of the deceased and interested parties prior to, and throughout, the inquest process, including Article 2 and/or inquests with a jury across multiple days. Examples of such work include: Acting for...

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Rachel Segal

Rachel Segal

  • Call: 2013

Rachel is ranked as a leading junior in The Legal 500 for both personal injury and clinical negligence. She enjoys working across the spectrum of clinical negligence and has a particular interest in cases involving delayed diagnosis of...

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Sophie Howard

  • Call: 2016

Sophie is a member of the Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence, and Inquest teams. She joined Chambers in May 2022 after completing a specialist third six pupillage under the supervision of Jimmy Barber. Having successfully completed a common law...

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Rhodri Jones

Rhodri Jones

  • Call: 2017

Rhodri specialises in clinical negligence, acting for both claimants and defendants. Before retraining as a barrister, Rhodri practiced as a medical doctor for 18 years, principally in A&E and general practice. His wealth of knowledge and clinical experience...

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Lauren Karmel

  • Call: 2017

Lauren is ranked as a leading junior (Tier 2) in The Legal 500 2024 guide. She accepts instructions in all areas of clinical negligence and inquest work, and is developing a strong paper-based practice in all areas of...

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Beatrice Baskett

Beatrice Baskett

  • Call: 2021

Beatrice joined our Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence and Inquests teams in October 2023 following the successful completion of her pupillage under the supervision Robert Mills and Benjamin Handy. Beatrice is instructed regularly in fast-track trials, interlocutory applications and...

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Anna Symington-114

Anna Symington

  • Call: 2002

Anna has experience of a broad range of inquests. She regularly appears in Article 2 inquests and those inquests with and without a jury. She recently acted in an inquest where the other IPs were represented by Queens Counsel....

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Directory Quotes

The preeminent set for inquest work in the South West, with specialist areas including deaths in custody, care deaths, and fatal accidents.”

Legal 500 2022, INQUESTS AND INQUIRIES

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