Inquests and Inquiries

The leading regional team in the South West, ranked in Tier 1 of the Legal 500, with experience from silk down to junior tenants. We act for the full range of interested persons and core participants across the public and private sectors, with great depth at all levels of experience. Members of the team have been instructed in many large scale investigations including:

The Lampard Inquiry, a large independent statutory inquiry, investigating the deaths of mental health inpatients in Essex.
Re Mohamud Hassan – instructed as Counsel to the Inquest in this three-week jury inquest concerning the death of a 24-year old male on the same day he was released from police custody, having alleged mistreatment by officers. The death had led to widescale protests in Cardiff.
The Nottingham Inquiry, an inquiry which is addressing issues arising from the actions of Valdo Calocane, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and had previous interactions with health services and the police. Mr Calocane killed three people and seriously injured three other people in Nottingham city centre in 2023.
Re CM – Instructed by the local authority in the inquest arising from the death of a member of the public following the consumption of a food wrap from Pret-a-Manger in Bath. The case attracted significant media attention at the time of the death.
The series of inquests into the deaths of patients of Dr Paterson, the breast surgeon convicted of wounding patients by carrying out unnecessary procedures.

Members of the team have experience leading independent reviews and investigations, and undertook a large non-statutory inquiry, the Isle of Man Covid Review. Kate Brunner KC chaired this landmark project, and three further members of our team played significant roles: Alexander West as Counsel to the Review Lana Murphy, as Lead Researcher, and Rachael Stitt as Researcher, all ensuring its smooth running and timely conclusion. The Review ran between September 2022 – December 2023. The Review gathered evidence from hundreds of people and groups, evaluated hundreds of thousands of documents and engaged expert witnesses in public health and governance. The team’s conclusions in relation to a wide range of areas, including education, financial schemes, command and advisory structures and social care, were brought together in a final report published in January 2024 here. Recommendations were made to assist the Isle of Man to prepare for future prolonged emergencies which were accepted by the Isle of Man parliament in full.

Our stages of advice includes early contact with the coroner/inquiry team and issues of disclosure, representation at pre-inquest reviews and advocacy at inquests both with and without juries. Our early involvement can ensure effective legal arguments being raised in relation to whether or not a jury is required, whether the provisions of Article 2 are engaged, and other legal matters which will have a significant effect on the inquest and inquiry proceedings. Our team can assist with the drafting of witness statements for inquests and inquiries, and coordinate responses to Rule 9 requests.

We are also able to advise on routes of appeal following inquest and inquiries.

Members of the team have experience representing many different parties, including:

Family of the deceased
Primary Care Trusts
Mental Health NHS Trusts
Integrated Care Boards
Regulators including the Health and Safety Executive & Care Quality Commission
Fire and Ambulance services
Police authorities and individual officers, (through the Police Federation)
Prisons, prison authorities, National Offender Management Service

Members of the team have also acted as Counsel to the Inquest/Review in large investigations, and chaired independent reviews. The team has experience of inquests where unlawful killing verdicts are considered, including those cases where the evidence of medical experts such as neurologists and pathologists is rigorously tested. We also regularly assist Trusts to avoid Coroners’ reports under Rule 43/Preventing Future Deaths by demonstrating that procedural changes have been implemented.

The breadth of experience within the team is further exemplified by the cases cited on individual profiles.

Some members of Albion Chambers are licensed to undertake work under the direct Public Access Scheme. Please see a list of public access barristers and more about our public access services.

Under public access, members of the inquest team provide a flexible service. In some cases we have provided full representation at inquest, and in others we have given advice and legal support to family members who wish to represent themselves.

Our Inquest and Inquiry team clerks are Theresa Jeanes and Nick Jeanes who are always happy to discuss and recommend the most suitable member of the team for each individual case.

Continuing education, internal and external, is important to us. We run programmes of seminars, together with in-house training sessions and are accredited CPD providers. Please contact our Chambers’ Director, Nick Jeanes for further information.

‘Albion Chambers has an excellent team of inquest practitioners who can deal with the full range of matters.’ Legal 500 2025

‘Albion Chambers is a very good set. In terms of Inquests, I have taken part in training that has been offered by them and this was very good. The number of barristers who practice in this area is small, but those who do are very good.’ Legal 500 2024

'An impressive set. Everyone I’ve dealt with has been very well prepared, personable and effective.’ ‘The set has great depth at all levels of experience.’ Legal 500 2023