Scarlett Milligan is a sought-after junior barrister who is regularly praised for being skilled beyond her level of call, for her diligence and commitment to her cases and clients, and for her “meticulous” approach to case preparation and analysis.
Her broad practice spans civil liability, public law, inquests and public inquiries. She has been recognised by the legal directories as a leading junior in all these areas. She has acted in a number of the most high-profile public inquiries, with particularly significant roles in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry (junior counsel to Inquiry) and the Infected Blood Inquiry (junior counsel representing victims who had campaigned for the Inquiry for over 40 years).
Scarlett brings particular expertise in cases where practice areas and principles overlap, including: public law challenges in ‘private’ law environments such as financial services, regulatory action and procurement; fatal accidents and unlawful killings; civil claims for breaches of human rights; and health and safety litigation (civil and criminal).
She is repeatedly described by those who instruct and work with her as “determined”, “exceptional” and “bright”, her legal work as “meticulous” and “invariably flawless”, and highlighted for her personable manner with clients.
Scarlett was called to the Bar in November 2015 and has been in practice since October 2017. She was appointed to the Attorney General’s Panel of Civil Counsel (C Panel) in August 2020. After three years, she was elevated to B Panel.
Scarlett works hard to maintain a balance in acting for both claimants and defendants. Her reputation for bringing a principled approach and an unwavering commitment to fairness to legal proceedings means she is regularly instructed to act in cases which are sensitive, which require considered advice on the duty of candour, and on behalf of the bodies with constitutional responsibility for the protection of justice (including the Secretary of State for Justice, the Chief Coroner, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service, and the Parole Board).
She is regularly instructed as sole counsel in high-profile civil claims (heard in both the High Court and Court of Appeal), inquests, and public inquiries. She equally enjoys being led and working in large teams (including as part of group actions).
In November 2019, Scarlett co-authored “A Practical Guide to the Law of Driverless Cars”, authoring the chapters on how the areas of negligence, product liability and employers’ liability will be impacted by, or require change as a result of, new automated technologies.
Young Public Law Lawyers’ Group (YPLG), Co-Chair
Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA)
Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association (HSLA)
Personal Injury Bar Association (PIBA)