Fiona Scolding

Fiona has expertise in issues relating to safeguarding, protection of children and vulnerable adults, education, healthcare, community care and equalities legislation in a variety of contexts.

Fiona has a particular interest and understanding of concerns and complaints relating to governance, standards and organisational culture, monitoring and inspection. She is interested in policy development as a tool for cultural change and improved outcomes for individuals. She is used to undertaking work with significant media and public interest on sensitive topics.

She has spent much of her time in silk involved in public inquiries under the Inquiries Act 2005 or undertaking investigations and reviews in sectors where she is an expert. She was lead counsel to three different investigations at the Independent Inquiry for Child Sexual Abuse – relating to the Church of England and Church in Wales, schools in England and Wales and a plethora of other religious institutions resulting in four investigation reports:

The residential schools investigation report – March 2022 Child protection in religious organisations and settings investigation report – September 2021 The Anglican Church Investigation Report – October 2020 Anglican Church Case Studies: Chichester/Peter Ball Investigation Report – May 2019.

Fiona then represented 297 individuals and the Hepatitis C trust in the Infected Blood Inquiry, which involved understanding and analysing all aspects of the provision of healthcare, including the role that central government plays in its management and operation of the NHS as well as a number of quangos.

She has also undertaken high profile reviews for a leading public school in respect of sexual harassment and misogyny between pupils (published March 2022 on the Westminister website) and for an NHS Trust about governance of maternity care (Published on Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust website). She has undertaken several internal reviews concerning complaints linked to governance, oversight, appointment, standards and equalities in a number of different organisations in the public sector.

Fiona has been recommended for her work in education law for over 20 years in the directories and is also recommended in the following areas: administrative and public law, civil liberties and human rights, Court of Protection and local government.

Fiona has been on the EHRC Panel of Counsel since its inception and was appointed to the Attorney General's B Panel of Junior Counsel from 2013 to 2017, before taking silk.

Fiona is a Deputy District Judge and Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals) Chamber.

Fiona is joint head of the 54-strong public law group at Landmark Chambers.

Fiona is on the advisory board of SACPA (a safeguarding advisory group providing training and advice to organisations) and is involved in a number of initiatives relating to improving safeguarding in various organisations in the United Kingdom.

Fiona Scolding KC sits on the panel of strategic legal advisors.

She undertakes work for the Bar Pro Bono Unit and other organisations.

Languages

French: working knowledge Spanish:  conversational.

1991 – 1994: BA History, Downing College Cambridge – 2:1 1994 – 1995: Diploma in Law, City University – Commendation 1995 – 1996: Bar Professional Training Course, ICSL – Very Competen Publications Health and social care handbook – co-author: Law Society, 2006 Previous editor of the Education Law monitor Regular contributor to specialist and general journals