Doughty Street Chambers

Gemma practises in health care law, medical law and regulatory law - including professional discipline and court of protection.

Gemma is an experienced Barrister practising in regulatory law with a particular focus on health care and human rights.

Gemma also has experience in academia – having taught and researched in the field of medical law and ethics, with a focus on biometrics, data, human rights and regulation.

Gemma was a lay member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority between 2008 – 2015. Her roles during this time included a term as Deputy Chair and being Chair of the Ethics and Standards Committee.

Gemma’s practice is focused on legal issues relating to health and regulation, this includes health care regulatory and fitness to practice cases (from referral through to review and appeal) as well as work in allied areas of health-related law including court of protection work. Gemma has wide ranging experience- including in disclosure and barring matters (particularly challenging enhanced criminal record certificates), judicial review, mental health and education law.

Gemma has a particular interest and expertise in medical law and ethics – with an emphasis on issues relating to future proofing regulation relating to AI, data (including biometrics), direct to consumer genetic testing and human rights. She spent three years in academia teaching medical law and ethics – including capacity related issues (as well as criminal law, criminal justice and international criminal law).

In academia her research focus was on medical law and ethics, particularly looking at regulating future health technologies. A key focus of her practice and research relates to Article 8 and the right to privacy.

Gemma is on the editorial board of the Journal for Law, Technology and Trust and is an Associate for the PHG Foundation – a think tank and charity ‘with a focus on how genomics and related technologies can make healthcare better’

Year of Call: 2006; Lincoln’s Inn. Current directorships: lay authority member – Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; trustee – Brook; executive committee – Human Rights Lawyers Association. Publications of note: co-authored ‘Sentencing’ chapter in human rights in ‘The Investigation and Prosecution of Crime’, edited by Jonathan Cooper and Madeleine Colvin, OUP 2009; ‘Roma Children and Education in the Czech Republic, DH and Others v The Czech Republic: Opening the door to indirect discrimination findings in Strasbourg?’ EHRLR 2 (2008) 245; co-authored ‘The IMPACT of human rights’, Impact 13 HIV and the Law, Policy Bulletin 13, National AIDS Trust, July 2007.

Association of Disciplinary and Regulatory Lawyers- Co-opted Committee member Human Rights Lawyers Association

George Abbot School, Guildford; Sussex University (2004, BA Hons); The College of Law (2005, GDL; 2006, BVC; London School of Economics and Political Science (2007, LLM, human rights law).