5 Essex Chambers

Inquests/ Coronial Law; Public/ Administrative Law; Police Law; Personal Injury; Professional Regulatory.

Alison specialises in inquests and is very experienced in all aspects of coronial law and procedure. She has acted as "Counsel to the Inquest" in many long and complex cases including the high-profile and sensitive inquests into the deaths of Ian Tomlinson, Poppi Worthington, Terrence Smith, and Christine and Lucy Lee. Alison also represents a wide range of clients at inquests, including Police Constabularies, private prisons, NHS Trusts, care homes and local authorities. Most of her work concerns deaths involving state agencies or private organisations, in particular deaths in custody (including restraint deaths) or in detention under the Mental Health Act, and deaths with a background of complex clinical care. Additionally, Alison regularly acts for coroners and others in judicial review claims relating to inquests; she is currently instructed in the case of Maughan (concerning the standard of proof for a suicide conclusion) which is to be considered by the Supreme Court.

Alison's other principal area of practice is Police Law. She advises and represents Chief Constables in relation to civil claims, professional standards/misconduct matters and judicial review. For example, she acted for the Metropolitan Commissioner as part of linked appeals which considered the lawfulness of the revised statutory scheme for the disclosure of convictions and its compatibility with Article 8 ECHR and has recently represented West Midlands Police at hearings before the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Called to the Bar 1984; Alison has been an Assistant Coroner herself since 2007 and became HM Senior Coroner for the City of London (a part-time role) in 2016. She also acts as a Legal Adviser to the General Dental Council.

The Coroners' Society of England and Wales; PIBA