Inquests & Inquiries

Overview

The team at 9 Gough Chambers represent interested parties at a very wide range of Inquests & Inquiries. We regularly act for police forces, victim’s families, Government Agencies, Hospital Trusts and other statutory bodies at Coroner’s inquests which are often Article 2 ECHR Jury Inquests.

We are well positioned to provide effective representation, based on our long standing relationship with Trade Union solicitors in relation to Inquests involving cases of industrial disease, fatal workplace accidents and road traffic accidents. Many industrial disease claims start out as Inquests and we are able to provide expert advocacy from an early stage, to ensure that necessary facts are brought to light which will form the foundation of future fatal accident claims.

On the police side we have acted for police authorities and individual officers at Inquests hearings for in excess of 25 years. Most of these are Jury Inquests and often the individual conduct of a police officer is under intense scrutiny. We are well positioned to cater for the high level of demand from such individuals and organisations, particularly when many inquests will receive significant media attention.

We draw on a large pool of resources from the individual specialist teams in providing representation at this level, with the ability to continue that representation, in the event that civil or criminal proceedings follow an Inquest verdict or Inquiry conclusion.

Recent Inquests that we have been involved in include:

• Croydon Tram Crash Inquest (on going and listed in 2020) Andrew Ritchie QC, Giles Mooney QC and James Byrne all represent victim’s families at this forthcoming inquest which is listed for approximately two months;
• Re Kirsopp-Lewis (2019) Edwin Buckett represented the family of a pregnant mother who died following a road traffic collision which involved the extreme and outrageous driving of another motorist. A conclusion of unlawful killing was returned;
• Re Dev Naran (2019) James Byrne represented the family of a child killed on the hard shoulder of the M6 motorway which was being operated as a live lane to relieve congestion. The inquest involved the examination of proposals by the government to introduce smart motorways and inherent risks of removing safety lanes;
• Inquest Into the terrorist attack at Sousse, Tunisia (2017) Andrew Ritchie QC represented the families of 22 UK citizens murdered at the RIU Imperial Marhaba Hotel, Sousse, Tunisia during the 5-week inquest in the High Court in January / February 2017;
• The In-Amenas Inquest (2014-2015) Inquests into the death of six British nationals and one British resident who were killed in a terrorist attack at the In Amenas Gas Plant in Algeria in 2013. Andrew Ritchie QC and Shahram Sharghy represented the family of Carlos Estrada, the British National killed. Click here to visit the inquiry’s website;
• In Re Jacob Marx, Deceased (2015) Inquest arising out of the death of a lawyer, killed by a sign hoarding falling on his head. Vincent Williams represented the family of Mr Marx. Click here for more on this case;
• In Re Arseema Dawit (2014) Inquest into the death of a 15 year old girl stabbed to death by boyfriend. Vincent Williams represented the Metropolitan Police. Click here for more on this case;
• Inquest into the death of Maria Stubbings (2014); Edwin Buckett represented Essex Police at this 8 week inquest which was an Article 2 jury inquest into the murder of Maria Stubbings who was killed by her former partner.
• In Re Keh (deceased) (2014) Inquest into the death of Mrs Keh from a hospital acquired infection leading to Acute Respiratory Syndrome after the birth of her son by C-Section. Giles Mooney represented the family of Mrs Keh. Click here for more on this case.

Inquiries that we have been involved in include:

• The Grenfell Tower Inquiry (2020) Tom Little QC has represented the interests of the government on the second stage of this Inquiry;
• The Undercover Policing Inquiry (2015 to date) Several members of the team are involved in representing police forces, state agencies and individual officers in this on-going Inquiry before Sir John Mitting;
• The Hallett Review (2014) Independent review into the ‘on the run’ administrative scheme conducted by Lady Justice Hallett. Tom Little was junior counsel to the review. Click here to read the review.
• The Victoria Climbie Inquiry (2003) Public Inquiry into the death of 8 year old Victoria Climbie in 2001. Vincent Williams was instructed by the Metropolitan Police. Click here to read the report.