Aidan has built a practice representing clients at international courts and tribunals. He has worked on cases before the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. He is currently legal consultant in the Defence team of Mr Bruno Stojic at the ICTY and argued Mr Stojic’s response to the Prosecution’s Appeal before the Appeals Chamber in March 2017. At the ICC, he has worked on the cases of Mr Saif al-Islam Gaddafi (Libya) and Mr Abdallah Banda and Mr Saleh Jerbo (Sudan). Aidan is an active member of the Association of Defence Counsel practising before the International Courts and Tribunals (“ADC”) and is currently the chairperson of the ADC membership committee and a member of the ADC amicus committee. Aidan maintains a national civil practice specialising in personal injury. He is particularly interested in personal injury cases with an international / human rights aspect. He is the author of Kevan and Ellis on Credit Hire and the editor of PI Brief Update Law Journal.
Temple Garden Chambers
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Alex Glassbrook is a road transport law specialist whose practice includes the law of advanced, automated and electric vehicles, serious personal injury cases, motor insurance law (including counter-fraud work) and high-value vehicle damages claims. Alex is the author of the first British book on the law of autonomous vehicles, The Law of Driverless Cars: An Introduction (Law Brief Publishing, 2017) and (with Emma Northey and Scarlett Milligan) of A Practical Guide to the Law of Driverless Cars (LBP, 2019). Alex’s third book, Advanced, Automated and Electric Vehicle Law, will be published by Bloomsbury Professional in 2022.
Barrister with a speciality in product liability, product safety, personal injury, sale of goods, insurance; commercial disputes; mass tort claims involving group actions; major accident and disaster claims and inquiries; railways; health and safety; and environment. Most of his court work has been in the Queen’s Bench Division, the Commercial Court, the Technology and Construction Court and the Court of Appeal. He has also appeared at public inquiries; in arbitrations and mediations. Reported cases include railway inquiries (Clapham, Cowden and Severn Tunnel), product liability group actions (Opren, Benzodiazepine, Lariam, Pertussis, Tobacco, Benzene in Co2, MMR, Fetal Anti-Convulsants). Other notable reported cases include: National Trust v Haden Young [1993] (the Uppark fire claim) CA; McCafferey v Datta [1996] CA, the state benefits scheme and its effect on compromise; B v John Wyeth & Roche Products Ltd [1996] CA, striking out claims for abuse of process; Powell v Boladz [1997] CA, striking out a medical negligence claim; Hodgson and Others v Imperial Tobacco Limited and Others [1998] in the Court of Appeal, conditional fees – personal liability of solicitors for costs and publicity in relation to proceedings in chambers; Watson v Huddersfield FC QBD [1998]; Parker v PFC Flooring Supplies Ltd – personal injury – employer’s liability, CA; Bass Britvic/Bacardi Martini v Terra Nitrogen [2002] CA, liability for contamination of drinks; Sayers v Smithkline Beecham & ors [2002] CA, cost sharing ordering in group actions; the Competition Commission inquiry into domestic bulk LPG 2004/05; Viasystems v Thermal Transfer [2005] CA, vicarious liability for temporary employees; and R v Cemex [2007] CA – environment agency prosecution; Farraj v King’s College Medical Trust [2008] QBD and [2009] CA – wrongful birth claim; Collet v Middlesbrough FC [2008] QBD and [2009] CA – damages for a professional footballer; Network Rail v Conarken [2010] QBD (TCC); Omega Proteins v Aspen [2010] QBD (Commercial); Valentine v Transport for London [2010] CA; Vaile v London Borough of Havering [2011] CA; Chong v Funafloat (Personal Injury) [2012]; Sylvestre v MOD [2012] (injury on active service); Raggett v Preston Catholic College [2012] QBO (claim for injury caused by childhood sexual abuse); Gilman v UPS and Network Rail [2013] TCC; Salat v Barutis [2013] CA (credit hire); Re Cunningham deceased [2014] (Red Arrows inquest).
Barrister specialising in common law work including personal injury, clinical and professional negligence claims, chancery matters and regulatory work.
Personal injury; public law; police law; immigration, asylum and nationality law; inquests and inquiries.
Ben has a busy common law practice representing both claimants and defendants. He has particular expertise in the field of high value personal injury including fatal accident and catastrophic injury claims. Ben is regularly instructed in Coroner’s Inquests and costs litigation and he has experience of CICA appeals. His practice also covers clinical and professional negligence and general insurance work. Ben’s personal injury work includes road traffic, employer’s liability, public liability and industrial disease cases. He has considerable experience in claims involving difficult issues of chronic pain, non-organic pain and allegations of exaggeration. In addition to general insurance work Ben is regularly instructed by major insurers to act in cases concerning suspected motor insurance fraud. Such claims often involve allegations of staged, contrived or slam on accidents, low velocity impacts and phantom passengers. Ben has wide ranging experience in Coroner’s Inquests. He has a particular expertise in inquests arising out of deaths in private prisons and detention centres. He regularly acts in inquests arising out of other circumstances including road traffic and workplace accidents. Ben regularly appears in the SCCO and has considerable experience of a variety of costs related disputes including high value detailed assessments. His practice also includes clinical and professional negligence work.Ben is recommended in the Legal 500 2016 as a leading Junior Personal Injury Barrister where he is described as being ‘approachable and a good communicator’.Previous editions described him as ‘a rising star at the PI Bar with excellent judgement’ and praised his ‘great attention to detail.’
Member of Attorney-General’s A Panel (Civil), Welsh government A Panel and Attorney-General’s Panel of Special Advocates. Junior counsel to the Bloody Sunday inquiry 2000-2010. Instructed on the Al-Sweady inquiry 2013-2014. Other work includes judicial review, immigration, inquests and prison law. Regularly instructed as a special advocate before SIAC.
Barrister specialising in personal injury (claimant and defendant); employers’ liability, including factory accidents, occupier’s liability, highway accidents, road traffic accidents, stress at work claims, industrial diseases, RSI; fatal accident claims; health and safety law (prosecution and defence); defending fraudulent insurance claims.
Barrister specialising in personal injury, employment, health & safety, tort, contract, inquests, public inquiries, judicial review.
David has significant experience across a range of complementary areas of Chambers’ work, both at first instance and on appeal, and is able to complete paperwork quickly. Particular interests in personal injury and related matters, inquests, and regulatory work.Before the Bar, David served a short commission in the British Army. He was also elected President of the Students’ Union at Sheffield University, which involved being Chair of Trustees, a Director responsible for over £10m turnover and 800 employees, and sitting on the University’s governing body.
Barrister specialising in health and safety and pollution, and personal injury; cases include (health and safety and pollution): R v John Laing Plc [1994] (tower crane collapse) – junior prosecuting counsel); R v Nuclear Electric Plc [1995] (Wylfa power station incident); R v Coalite Ltd [1996] (pollution with dioxins); R v Port Ramsgate and Others [1997] (walkway collapse); Basingstoke & Deane BC v J Sainsbury [1998] (dangerous forklift truck); Tarmac Heavy Building Materials [1999]; R v Taramis (South East) Ltd [1999]; HSE v London Underground Ltd [2000]; R v Railcare Ltd [2000]; R v Homebase [2001] (scope of undertaking in relation to accident in service yard); prosecutes for HSE and local authorities in health and safety cases and represents and advises defendants in such cases and health and safety law generally; (personal injury): cases across the whole range of value; licensing work, street markets, planning enforcement and other functions subject to local authority regulation; employment law.
Personal injury: specialises in road traffic, accidents at work and public liability claims, with particular expertise in cases of insurance fraud, covering induced and staged collisions, fraud rings, and exaggerated or false damages claims. Also extensive experience of breaches of health and safety regulations, fatal accident claims, accidents abroad and product liability claims, cases involving issues of insurance, credit hire and repair, costs, and the liability of the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. He also has considerable expertise in clinical negligence and criminal injury compensation claims, as well as significant experience of inquests. Reported cases include Armsden v Kent Police [2009] EWCA Civ 631 (Court of Appeal decision on liability of police emergency drivers in fatal accident claim). Employment: practice covers unfair and wrongful dismissal, redundancy, breach of contract and equal opportunities claims, as well as cases involving transfers, restrictive covenants and deductions from wages. He has particular experience of claims involving members of the medical and telecoms professions. Notable cases include Johns v ISS [2009] UKEAT/0355/08/ZT (EAT decision on the relevance of statutory dismissal procedures in unfair dismissal claims).
Barrister practising in personal injury law, motor fraud, inquests and costs. Called in 2013.
Barrister specialising in personal injury, statutory undertakers and employers liability, clinical and professional negligence, contractual disputes, costs, health and safety, insurance, consumer credit law, coroners inquests, criminal injury compensation appeals and public inquiries.
Inquests, health and safety, personal injury. Cases include the Sean Cunningham inquest (death of red arrows pilot); the Lakanal House inquest; the inquests into the London bombings of 7 July 2005 and R v Balfour Beatty (and others) – the manslaughter prosecution arising out of the Hatfield train crash (Central Criminal Court and Court of Appeal). Fiona Canby has been recommended for her work in health and safety in the legal directories since 2007, she has particular expertise in long and complex inquests, she is well versed in the conduct of jury and article 2 inquests, she is regularly instructed in inquests arising out of road traffic accidents; accidents at work; prison/custody/detention deaths; military deaths and suicides. She is on the British Legion pro bono panel of counsel, acting for families in inquests into military deaths.
Barrister specialising in tort (personal injury, professional negligence and nuisance); employment, including tribunals/EAT; contract and commercial law (including construction, insurance, consumer credit and ADR); and health and safety matters. Has experience in a wide range of other areas of law such as crime, including the prosecution/defence of HSE/local government cases; private international law; reported cases include: Adams v Cape Industries Plc [1990] 2 AC 433, [1990] 2 WLR 657, conflict of laws – jurisdiction to enforce foreign judgment; Nelhams v Sandells Maintenance Ltd, The Times 15 June 1995 (CA), personal injury – contribution between employer and contractor; TNT Express (UK) Ltd v The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, The Times 27 June 1995 (DC), environmental law – London lorry ban; Post Office v The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames [1995] RTR (DC), environmental law – London lorry ban; represented EWSR at the Southall Rail Accident Inquiry and SRA at the Ladbroke Grove rail inquiry; O’Loughlin v Cape Distribution Ltd [2001] EWCA Cir 178, 2001 All ER (D) 87; White v ESAB Group (UK) Ltd [2002] All ER (D); R v B&Q plc [2005] EWCA Crim 2297; Allison v London Underground Ltd [2008] EWLA Civ 71 [[2008] All ER (D) 185; Ellis v Environmental Agency [2008] EWCA 1117, [2008] All ER (D) 163.
General common law, including personal injury, insurance fraud and regulatory work. He has extensive experience in defending fraudulent insurance claims, fraud rings, exaggerated claims and sham credit-hire arrangements. He also undertakes commercial fraud work, commercial disputes and regulatory law (including consumer protection). His experience of civil fraud litigation includes contempt proceedings in the QBD and the securing of freezing orders. Prior to his return to the Bar in 2005, he gained experience of international fraud litigation at a City Law firm.
Barrister specialising in a wide range of civil work including personal injury, professional negligence, judicial review and employment law. Cases include: Wyre Forest DC v Secretary of State for the Environment [1990] 2 AC 357 (planning appeal);Inquest into deaths in Kegworth Air Disaster [1991] (acted for Air Accident Investigation Branch of MoD); Field v Herefordshire Health Authority [1991] (£1.6 million – first structured claim against Health Authority); Molinari v Ministry of Defence [1991] (claim for leukaemia caused by exposure to radiation on nuclear submarines); South Lakeland DC v Secretary of State for the Environment [1992] 2 AC 141 (planning appeal); inquest into deaths of nine servicemen from friendly fire in Gulf War [1992]; R v Secretary of State Home Department ex parte Abdi [1996] 1 WLR 298 (House of Lords appeal in judicial review of asylum claim); Birch v Hales Containers [1996] PIQR P307 (procedure relating to admissibility of video evidence).
James has an exclusively Personal Injury practice, split evenly between Claimant and Defendant instructions. Claim values are generally 7-figures, often appearing against silks. Defendant clients include Admiral Insurance (with claim values of up to £15m) and John Lewis: Claimant clients include Leigh Day, Irwin Mitchell and Slater & Gordon. Written work includes schedules, counter schedules and skeletons. In addition to regular interlocutory appearances, James has also successfully conducted 7 substantial liability and/or quantum trials in the last 18 months. Quantum analysis lies at the heart of James’ work for either side, combining forensic analysis of the evidence with sound tactical judgment. Repeat instructions are attributed to the ability to relate to and mange lay clients from all walks of life, as well as a ‘team approach’ to litigation. James’ Defendant work benefits from his ability to package detailed advice in a format which insurers appreciate. Results in negotiations are a product of thorough preparation, sound judgment and second-guessing opponents. James is currently involved in the accommodation claims test case appeal in Swift v Carpenter, having successfully conducted the quantum trial at first instance in 2018 resulting in an award of ~£4.1m for the amputation injury. DIRECTORIES “…He has very impressive tactical nous and ability.” Band 2 Legal 500 (personal injury) 2015 Cited as ‘Leader at the Bar’ in the field of costs Chambers UK 2011 and 2012 ‘…careful and convincing advocate’ Chambers and Partners (costs) 2012 ‘…a classic pair of safe hands’ Legal 500 (personal injury) 2011 ‘….a very good up-and-coming barrister in this field” Legal 500 (costs) 2011 ‘…praised for his sensible and tactical advice and confident advocacy’ Legal 500 (costs) 2009 ‘…good in this area, and on costs’ Legal 500 (personal injury) 2009 PUBLIC ACCESS Undertakes Public Access work.
James’ practice is predominantly involved with personal injury litigation, issues concerning fraud / fundamental dishonesty and costs litigation and He is regularly instructed on behalf of claimants by firms such as Irwin Mitchell and on behalf of insurers with instructions from firms such as Kennedys and DWF. He is regularly involved in the management of high-value and document heavy claims. He also has extensive experience of litigation concerning costs and has written extensively on the changes introduced by the Jackson reforms.
Senior barrister practising predominantly in the fields of personal injury, clinical negligence, professional negligence and insurance litigation. Acts for both claimants and defendants. A busy common law practitioner who is well used to dealing with complex high-value claims such as catastrophic injuries. Main areas of work include: employers’ liability, public liability, product liability, road traffic accidents, sports injury and insurance/reinsurance disputes. In addition, he undertakes health and safety cases, RACMSA work and Privy Council appeals. Court and advisory work is undertaken nationwide.
Practice areas: personal injury; professional negligence; insurance.
James enjoys a diverse common law practice, with particular focus on personal injury and related work including credit hire, insurance fraud and coronial law. He is instructed by both claimants and defendants to draft pleadings, provide advice and to represent clients at all levels of trial and interlocutory hearings. Before coming to the Bar he worked for a major national insurance law firm of solicitors. During his time there he worked closely with lay clients and technical claims handlers on a varied case load which included work ranging from insurance fraud rings to high value personal injury claims.
Barrister – general common law, with heavy emphasis on personal injury work with recent focus on aviation catastrophes and RTA brain damage.
Karim combines a practice at the national and international levels in public law and human rights. He specialises in public international law and international criminal law, acting on behalf of governments, heads of state, political leaders, military officers and victims before all the international criminal courts. His advisory work includes acting in proceedings before the International Court of Justice and the ECHR. His international work encompasses advisory work in many foreign jurisdictions embracing matters such as the right of return, issues of nationality and citizenship and property rights under international law and the ECHR. Karim is currently acting for the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, HE William Ruto, before the ICC in the ‘Kenya 1 case’ in relation to allegations pertaining to the post election violence on Kenya in 2007-2008. He successfully recently acted, as lead counsel, for the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Public Service in Kenya before the ICC in relation to charges of crimes against humanity in the ‘Kenya 2’ case. All charges were withdrawn just before Trial. He is also lead counsel representing two Darfurian rebels charged with war crimes arising out of the situation in Sudan before the ICC. Karim successfully represented Bahar ldris Abu Garda in the first case not confirmed for trial by a pre-trial Chamber of the ICC. Karim was the first member of the English Bar engaged by the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICTY and has prosecuted, defended, advised or acted for the victims in all existing international or hybrid courts and Tribunals. Cases include acting as lead counsel for Charles Taylor (Former President of Liberia, SCSL, 2006-7), Fatmir Limaj (first KLA case ICTY), Jean Pierre Bemba (Former Vice President of the DRC, ICC) and lead counsel for the largest group of victims in the first case (Kaing Guev Eak alias Ouch) before the Extraordinary Courts in the Chambers of Cambodia. Karim is the legal advisor to the former prime minister of Libya, Dr Baghdadi AI-Mahmoudi being tried in Libya. He is currently lead counsel representing the Cham community of Albania in relation to their deprivation of nationality, seizure of property and expulsion from Greece after the second world war.
Inquest, public inquiries, health and safety law and related proceedings. Health and Safety Silk of the year in 2017. Significant cases include: R v Geoconsult (1999) (Heathrow tunnel collapse), R v Lord Condon and Sir John Stevens (2003) (death of police officer), R v Thames Trains (2004) (Paddington rail crash), R v Southampton University Hospital (2006), R v Office of the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis (2007) (prosecution arising out of the Stockwell shooting), R v Bulmer and Nalco (2008) (outbreak of legionnaires disease in Hereford), R v Cotswold Geotechnical Ltd (2011) (first prosecution under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act), R v Dalkia Ltd (2011), R v Austin & McLean and Esso (2013), R v Costain Ltd (2014), R v Dynamiq Cleaning Ltd (2015), R v BAM Construciton (2017), R v Tata Steel UK Ltd (2017) (first successful appeal by a very large organisation under new Sentencing Guidelines). He has extensive experience of public inquiries (such as the Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry, the D Inquiry, Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Inquiry and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry) and inquests (for example, the 7/7 London Bombings, Vauxhall Helicopter crash, Crossrail, the Shoreham Air Disaster, the Croydon Tram Disaster, work related deaths, deaths in custody, military including inquest into the deaths of 6 Royal Military Police soldiers in Iraq, air crash at RAF St Mawgan and deaths of 3 SAS recruits on the Brecon Beacons). More generally, Keith has a common law practice with a particular focus on personal injury and is accustomed to dealing with complex civil litigation.
Lionel has a High Court and multi-track practice specialising in personal injury, clinical negligence and health & safety with complementary expertise in aviation and product liability (particularly in the context of prosthetic and medical/surgical equipment failures, as well as aviation and light aircraft accidents), inquests, costs, insurance contracts and civil fraud. He combines robust advocacy where required with a focused ‘team’ approach to litigation, tactical insight for JSMs and mediations and the ability to manage clients in challenging cases or where difficult messages need to be delivered. Personal Injury and Health & Safety Lionel acts for claimants and defendants in all areas of personal injury and health & safety, including inquests following hospital and workplace deaths; and representing duty-holders in prosecutions under the HSWA 1974 following both fatal and non-fatal accidents in the workplace. He is regularly instructed in seven figure fatal and catastrophic injury cases, as well as those involving serious brain or head injuries, paraplegia/tetraplegia, loss of limbs/limb amputations, fusion surgery, hip replacement surgery and/or resulting in other significant disability. His general practice encompasses injury arising out of defective products; and he has developed a niche practice in aviation-related claims, including those arising out of serious bodily injury following domestic or international aviation accidents, as well as fatal and serious injury claims arising out of light aircraft accidents. Recent work has also included representing families in claims arising out of the Shoreham Air Disaster (and advising on generic issues relating to potential group litigation); representing dependents of relatives killed in the Germanwings disaster in which there were significant disputes as to the applicable law, jurisdiction and quantification; and the High Court case of Labbadia, which clarifies the scope of the Court of Appeal decision in Barclay v British Airways PLC [2008] EWCA Civ 1419. In addition, as part of his cross-over health and safety/personal injury practice, Lionel is currently advising and representing a cohort of families in group litigation arising out of the Grenfell Fire; and he regularly acts on behalf of companies facing prosecution or civil claims arising out of breaches of health & safety legislation on construction sites and/or in other work environments. More generally, Lionel’s regular practice extends to cases involving complex issues of causation arising from the aggravation or acceleration of pre-existing rheumatological conditions and non-organic pain (including complex regional pain syndrome, chronic pain, post-traumatic fibromyalgia and somataform/somatic symptom disorders). Clinical negligence and Product Liability Lionel similarly has a High Court clinical negligence practice that incorporates factually complicated claims arising out of obstetric and gynaecological injuries, including those resulting in maximum disability, diagnostic failures (such as compartment syndrome and false aneurysms (resulting in amputation), as well as cancer and MCL cases), negligent treatment of post-surgical infections leading to kidney failure, negligent eye and laser surgery, failure to diagnose retinal detachment, failure to convey to hospital, surgical negligence (with particular expertise in cases that have resulted in permanent colorectal injury), general practitioner negligence in failing to refer or diagnose (such as meningitis, sepsis, encephalitis and suspected pulmonary embolism (resulting in death)), negligent nursing care of vulnerable patients in hospital, failure correctly to advise of surgical risks or alternative treatment (application of Montgomery), and diagnostic and treatment failures following urgent admissions to hospital. Lionel regularly represents both individuals and the NHS/private practices at JSMs and Mediations. Recent trials include the case of D v NSH CB & R (six-day ophthalmological case before HHJ Walden-Smith (DCJ)). His clinical negligence practice has also led to instruction on related product liability cases involving the failure of prosthetics, as well as medical/surgical equipment. These cases frequently involve cross-over expertise because there is the potential for multiple causes of action and defendants. Costs and Professional Negligence Lionel undertakes costs work in all areas of commercial and common law litigation. He has extensive expertise in costs management conferences, detailed assessments, appeals, enforceability challenges to CFAS, solicitor-own client assessments and drafting general points of dispute. He can also advise on costs budgeting, compliance and the application of, and exceptions to, QOCS (including where there are pre- and post- April 2013 funding arrangements in place). This work has in turn led to regular instructions in professional negligence claims against solicitors and barristers, including those arising out of negligent advice and omissions that have led to significant under-settlement of claims (for example failing to investigate or consider the effect of rheumatological or other chronic conditions, such as fibromyalgia). His professional liability expertise extends to claims arising out of construction disputes, particularly where there are associated health & safety issues (for example advising councils on claims relating to the negligent installation of cladding and fire doors). Insurance and Civil Fraud In addition to his main practice areas, Lionel specialises in insurance advisory work (contracts, coverage and indemnity, incorporating discrete issues such as material non-disclosure, fraudulent misrepresentation, wrongful repudiation, declarations, waivers and the meaning and effect of warranties and conditions) and receives regular instructions in claims involving suspected insurance fraud. Acting predominantly for insurers, his experience covers the full spectrum of insurance fraud from exaggerated personal injury claims of significant value to staged/contrived accidents and phantom passenger claims. He has successfully defended numerous fraudulent claims through to awards of exemplary damages and costs sanctions against individuals and/or firms of solicitors.
Marcus is ranked as a ‘Star Individual’ Personal Injury Junior Barrister in Chambers & Partners (London) 2020 and was ranked as the only ‘Star Individual’ Personal Injury Junior Barrister in Chambers & Partners (London) in 2017, 2018 and 2019. He was named Personal Injury/Clinical Negligence Junior of the Year in Chambers & Partners UK Bar Awards 2016 and was nominated as the 2017 Legal 500 Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Junior of the Year. His specialism is head injury, chronic pain and spinal litigation. He is noted for his leadership in exploring recent neurological and chronic pain developments in the Courts and is regarded for his insight into the nuances of the medicine and his tenacity in handling medical experts in his specialist areas. He is noted too for taking a lead in the thorny issue of recording of medicolegal assessments and appeared in the lead cases of Macdonald (By His Litigation Friend Lindsay Macdonald) v Burton [2020] EWHC 906 (QB) and Mustard v. Flower & Others [2019] EWHC 2623 (QB).
Barrister with extensive experience in insurance-backed litigation including personal injury, insurance contract disputes and claims for fire and subsidence damage to property and business (including subrogated claims). He has developed a specialism in asbestos-related and other disease claims. His personal injury work is spread evenly between claimants and defendants. He also undertakes construction work, general commercial work and professional negligence matters. He is recognised as an expert in the field of costs and has appeared In some of the leading cases on champerty and solicitors’ retainers as well as providing advice on many aspects of the Jackson reforms. He frequently appears in applications for wasted and non-party costs. He Is commonly asked to advise in cases that raise complicated legal and technical issues and has a reputation for providing incisive and practical advice. Cases include: AB v Ministry of Defence [2012] UKSC9, [2013] 1 AC 78; Tibbles v SIG [2012] EWCA Civ 518, [2012]1WLR 2591; Patterson v MoD [2012] EWHC 2767, [2012]162 NLJ 1349; Lake v Hunt Kidd [2011] EWHC 766, [2011] 6 Costs LR 948; Lavelle v Noble [2011] EWCA Civ 551; Drake v Harbour [2008] NPC 11, CA.
Personal injury, health and safety, road traffic related crime, credit hire, costs, interlocutory matters.
Nicholas Chapman has a broad practice with an emphasis on public and regulatory law, public international law, human rights and civil liberties, national security, inquests and public inquiries, tax, and health and safety and environmental crime. His cases are generally important, complex and high-profile. He is Junior Counsel to the Crown (Attorney General’s A panel) and a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission A panel.
Nick Moss specialises in inquests and public inquiries. He has appeared in many of the leading inquiries over more than 15 years (examples include the Detainee Inquiry and the Baha Mousa Inquiry (both as Counsel to the Inquiry), the Nimrod Review, the Billy Wright Inquiry, the Rosemary Nelson Inquiry, the Bloody Sunday Inquiry and the BSE Inquiry). Extensive inquest experience extends to advising coroners and acting as counsel to inquests, and appearing for interested persons with an emphasis on military cases, use of force, prisons and healthcare. He leads the MOD counsel team for the Deepcut inquests. Other cases include police use of Taser fatalities; military aviation fatalities; hostage cases (abroad and in prisons); many high profile military cases involving operational / training deaths, bullying and sexual assault allegations; and many self-inflicted deaths in custody. He sits as an Assistant Coroner. He also maintains a practice in judicial review and national security work. Recent cases include Hottak (Afghanistan interpreters), Sumpter (introduction of PIP) and the challenges to the criminal legal aid reforms (for the Lord Chancellor). Also works the fields of personal injury and employment law for both claimants and defendants. Attorney General's A Panel of Civil Counsel (since 2008) and a panel member since 1999.
A well recognised and respected senior junior at the London Common Law Bar; his practice includes all areas of civil common law equally balanced between advisory work and litigation; his practice is evenly balanced between both claimant and defendant work; principal areas of practice include clinical and professional negligence, personal injury work, employment law, inquests and inquiries and Judicial Review. Clinical negligence/personal injury practice: all areas of work are willingly undertaken with niche specialisations including stress at work claims, passive smoking and RSI (his experience has included being Junior standing Counsel in the Myodil class action, advising the Inland Revenue on its RSI Compensation Scheme, diving injury specialist, all aspects of servicemen’s claims with claimant work willingly undertaken). Employment law: he has comprehensive experience in relation to handling Employment Tribunal litigation and EAT appeals both for applicants and respondents; this involves not only all aspects of unfair dismissal and discrimination but also the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage Act legislation on behalf of the Inland Revenue. Coronial law/inquest/inquiry work: he has experience in many sensitive inquests such as Jamieson, Keta Craig and McGowan (the Telford twin deaths); he regularly advises Coroners in relation to matters of law including representation at Judicial Review hearings and advising the Coroners Society; he undertakes work for all ‘interested parties’ at inquests and in Judicial Review proceedings. Costs: he has been involved in a number of costs cases, most notably Wraith v Sheffield Forgemasters Ltd (1998) 1 All ER 82 in which he was Junior Counsel for the claimant at the first instance and in the Court of Appeal.
Barrister specialising in insurance law and insurance fraud (particularly motor), consumer law, contractual disputes, and personal injury. Also has considerable employment law experience.
Rhys is an experienced international criminal law and human rights law practitioner, based in London and the Hague. He has a particular interest in the Middle East and the rights of journalists. Rhys is in demand as a commentator on international human rights and regularly appears both on television and in print. He is a frequent speaker at human rights events at the United Nations in Geneva and the House of Commons. Rhys often comments for Al-Jazeera Television, and has recently written for the Times, Guardian and Independent newspapers. Rhys combines his international work with a busy and diverse domestic common law practice in England and Wales.
Richard specialises in high value and complex personal injury litigation and costs litigation, regularly undertaking multi-million pound claims, whether instructed by Claimants or insurers for whom he acts in equal number. He has very considerable experience of all aspects of head injury litigation, including claims arising from minor or subtle brain injury, as well as spinal injury claims. He has been praised for "his outstanding powers of forensic analysis", skills which serve him well when dealing with another area of particular speciality, namely Chronic Pain cases. He regularly deals with Fatal Accident claims as well more niche areas such as product liability claims, claims with a foreign element and injuries sustained in the sporting context where previous clients have included Tottenham Hotspur FC. In these days of cost budgeting and a focus on proportionality, Richard's experience and knowledge of cost litigation is a valuable asset to his personal injury work. His costs practice covers the full spectrum of costs litigation from advisory to advocacy work, both in relation to costs between the parties and in respect of solicitor / client disputes. Richard also has experience of dealing with large scale litigation, including group litigation (such as Porton Down, Buncefield) and public inquiries (Climbie and Southall rail) as well as related areas such as Inquests (for example representing victims of a shooting on board the submarine HMS Astute that subsequently resulted in successful claims against the MOD).
Practice Areas Civil Fraud Clinical Negligence Costs Credit Hire Health & Safety Inquests Inquiries Insurance Personal Injury Public International Law Public Law
Barrister specialising in administrative and public law/judicial review, immigration/asylum, nationality, human rights, and general common law. Major cases include (year reported): Bugg (1993); Percy v Hall (1997); Horvath (2001); SSHD v IAT (2001); Kaur (2001); Rehman (2003); Kariharan (2003); Wainwright (2004); Akrich (2004); Scotcher (2005); Khadir (2006); A (No 2) (2006); K (2007); O’Brien (2007); RB (Algeria) (2010); ZO (Somalia) (2010); AP (2011); Cart (2011); ZA (Nigeria) (2011); Kambadzi (2011); Adams (2012); Lumba (2012); W (Algeria) (2012); BB (Algeria) (2012); Othman (2012); B (Algeria) (2013); XX (Ethiopia) (2013); AA (Afghanistan) (2013); Bank Mellat (2013); George (2014); Pham (2015); B (Algeria) (No 2) (2016); O (2016); Iqbal (2017). Major inquests and inquiries include: Hutton Inquiry (2003); Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed Inquests (2007); Litvinenko Inquiry (2015).
Rodney Dixon combines a practice at the national and international levels in public law, human rights and criminal law. He has expertise in international criminal law, humanitarian law, and public international law acting on behalf of governments, political leaders, military officers, international organisations, companies, NGOs, and victims. His international work covers all international criminal courts for trial, appeaf·and review proceedings Privy Council cases; UN and civil claims; bilateral investment treaty matters; territorial and border disputes. He regularly appears in cases before the International Criminal Court (ICC), including on behalf of the government of Kenya in the Kenya situation, Mr. Abdullah Al-Senussi in the Libya situation, and in the Sudan situation in the case concerning president Al Bashir of Sudan and on behalf of victims from Darfur in a case against rebel leaders. He has prosecuted and defended before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) including as defence counsel on behalf of the former Prime Minister of Kosovo in protracted trial, appellate and retrial proceedings. He acted on behalf of the government of Rwanda before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). He has consulted in respect of the prosecution and defence of war crimes to be tried before the War Crimes Division of the High Court of Uganda. Domestically he specialises in administrative and public law particularly in the fields of foreign relations, the military, terrorism, education, inquiries, prison law, health and safety, and customs. He has been involved in proceedings on behalf of the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Defence and other Government departments.
Barrister specialising in: costs; coroners and inquests; general civil; public law; personal injury.
Susan Jones is a specialist inquest practitioner who also practices in personal injury, clinical negligence and licensing. In addition to continuing to build on her inquest practice involving complex medical cases including recently appearing in cases concerning missed cancer diagnosis, sepsis, and complex cardiology issues, Susan’s inquests practice is increasingly focusing on joint emergency service interoperability, including missing persons (land and sea) searches, air accidents, marine accidents and mass fatalities. Recent notable inquests include the inquests into the Plymouth/Keyham shootings and the 12-week inquest into the death of Gaia Pope. Public and Regulatory Susan has experience of appearing before a variety of public law and regulatory forums. Licensing In 2016 Susan appeared for a Local Authority in a long running case involving an appeal against refusal to renew a license under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963. The licence being necessary for carrying on a business of providing accommodation at premises, including a dwelling, for other peoples cats and dogs. Susan is regularly instructed to appear in taxi licensing appeals and will consider acting on a direct access basis. In 2016 Susan appeared for a local authority in a number of appeals against revocation of Hackney Carriage Licences with immediate effect under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, when drivers breached a Traffic Regulation Order by a pedestrianised areas. In 2017 Susan represented a Licensing Authority in a taxi licensing appeal in which the license holder was accused and acquitted of rape. Upon learning of the allegation the Licensing Authority revoked the driver’s license with immediate effect in the interests of public safety. During the course of the licensing appeal, Susan highlighted the burden of proof depends on the nature of proceedings and the purpose of criminal and licensing proceedings are very different. Susan relied on a transcript of the complainant’s ABE interview, the driver’s PACE police interview and Crown Court Transcript when questioning the officer in the case and the driver. The driver’s appeal was refused. Susan has appeared before a taxi and private hire licensing sub-committee on behalf of a taxi conglomerate for consideration of fitness of two directors to continue holding Private Hire Operator Licences. This involved issues of natural justice and responding to a report from the Head of Transportation Services. Before the Traffic Commission, Susan represented four Lorry companies in a multi day, multi issue inquiry arising from five reports concerning professional competence, good repute, satisfaction of fundamental licensing requirements and financial standing. The case involved a history of receipt of a large number of PG9’s including some serious roadworthiness prohibitions. Concerns were raised relating to third party trailers, inadequately of checks, driver failings and issues surrounding nominated Transport Managers. The licences of each company had previously been suspended due to failure to provide evidence of appropriate financial standing. Susan ensured the financial suspension was lifted on the first day of the inquiry. Following the evidence and submissions, all parties received Formal Warnings. Susan has represented Duty Premises Supervisors before licensing sub-committees and appeared in review hearings and applications for extension of opening hours. She has also represented publicans in criminal sentencing hearings involving consideration of suspension of their personal license under the Licensing Act 2003. Personal Injury Susan accepts instructions in a wide range of personal injury matters and acts for Claimants and Defendants. Susan regularly attends: Costs and Case Management Hearings (CCMCs) Interim applications, including relief from sanctions Trials involving liability, causation and quantum disputes Appeals Infant and protected party approval hearings for a wide range of injuries including fatal injuries Conciliation hearings Inquests. Susan has experience of personal injury claims concerning occupier’s liability, the Highway Act, food poisoning, accidents at work, road traffic accidents, sporting accidents and fatal injuries arising in a wide range of circumstances. Susan has acted or is currently acting for Defendants in cases in which: Fundamental dishonesty is alleged, made out and qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS) has been disapplied. Breach of duty is admitted but causation disputed based on Late Notification, in which following cross examination the Claimant did not make out their case. Following discontinuance Defendant costs are pursued based on fundamental dishonesty. Arguments have been raised regarding purported discontinuance and strike out has been sought in addition or as an alternative to fundamental dishonesty. After trial liability has been made out against one Defendant but not the Defendant Susan represented in which case Susan secured an enforceable Defendant costs order up to the extent of damages awarded. Only quantum is disputed but the Claimant has failed to better a Defendant Part 36 offer, with costs consequences. A quantum only dispute was allocated to the Fast Track, but Susan successfully argued the claim unreasonably left the Portal resulting in the Claimant being limited to Portal costs with significant cost savings for the Defendant. The Claimant’s claim has been struck out for not having a direct cause of action against the Defendant with an enforceable costs order granted. Susan successfully represented a Claimant in a 5 witness public liability and quantum trial following which the Defendant appealed to the High Court on grounds of procedure and findings of fact. Susan advised on the appeal, drafted a skeleton argument and made oral submission before Mrs Justice Lambert. The Defendant’s appeal was dismissed in its entirety. Susan represented a Claimant at trial where the Claimant alleged, he burnt his hand while working for the Defendant when required to set fire to sawdust on the Defendants premises. The matter was defended on the basis that the Defendant never employed the Claimant (there was no contract of employment, no evidence of payments and the Claimant did not have a UK work permit) and in any event that the incident did not occur on his premises (there being no accident book entry, or any other record and the incident described was not something tolerated by the Defendant). Following a full day trial, the judge found for the Claimant and heard submissions on quantum for burn injuries. Susan recently advised a local authority in respect of life long dental treatment required by a child following a liability admitted accident. On behalf of the Defendant Susan attended the approval and informed the Court that the settlement was fair, excluded double counting suggested in the Claimant’s schedule of loss and applied the correct discount rate. Susan represented a child at an assessment of damages hearing, who sustaining deep facial laceration requiring surgery under general anaesthetic, leaving permanent scarring with a likelihood of further future treatment. The Claimant also suffered post traumatic anxiety that resolved. Susan provides advice on quantum and attends infant and protected party approval hearings, including for dependents following fatal accidents. She has considered issue relating to hostile litigation friends and matters arising when Defendant's potentially lack capacity in areas of law outside the remit of personal injury. Susan is happy to draft pleadings and advise on prospects and quantum. Susan is a member of PIBA and attends their annual March conference. Inquests Susan is a busy inquest practitioner. In the past 12 months Susan has appeared in inquests representing HM Coastguard, Police Forces, Care providers, Education Providers, individual police and nursing practitioners, Cruise Ships, local authorities, and families. Susan regularly appears in Article 2 and jury inquests and has appeared in lengthy inquests in which the determination of the cause of death are complex and involve the assessment of factual evidence and numerous experts. Susan has experience of inquests involving: Firearms licensing and mass shootings Deaths in custody Modern Slavery Emergency services attendance, including multi agency response Search and rescue (land and sea) Drowning Jet-ski collisions Deaths in care homes Covid-19, in custody, and the community Hospital deaths, including complications in cardiology, urology procedures, elective surgeries, and labour Hyponatremia (including from excessive water intake) Neonates Sudden Infant Deaths Anorexia Suicides, in the community and voluntary, and involuntary inpatients Prescription medication (including opioids, and post-mortem redistribution) Prescribing errors Canine attack Accidents at work, including construction sites and docks Road traffic accidents Notable Inquests In the 2023 inquests into Keyham/Plymouth mass shooting Susan was sole counsel representing the Firearms Licensing Supervisor. The inquests took place over 6 weeks and heard from over 60 witnesses. 11 interested persons were involved, 3 of whom were represented by silks and juniors. The inquest considered firearms licensing systems and culture within the police firearms unit, the shotgun licence application and a further review, the applicable legal framework for shotgun licences at the time including Home Office Guidance and the British Medical Associations response to that Guidance. These inquests received national media attention. In 2022 Susan, acted as sole counsel, representing HM Coastguard in the inquest into the death of Gaia Pope. In November 2017, 19-year-old Gaia was reported missing. The 12-week jury inquest into her death, involved counsel to the inquest, 15 interested persons and over 70 witnesses. The inquest explored mental health and epilepsy management, recent pre-death contact with the police, ambulance service and social services and an 11-day multi-agency search following Gaia going missing. The inquest heard expert evidence in pathology, entomology, neurology, psychiatry, and missing person search strategies and also included a jury scene view to where Gaia was found. In 2022 Susan represented a police force in an inquest concerning the death of a sex worker who fell from a cliff. In advance of death the deceased disclosed she was a victim of modern slavery. The inquest explored a number of aspects of police involvement, including police interactions within the multi-agency safeguarding response, police offers of sanctuary, police investigation into the alleged offences, police response when attending a safeguarding concern on the day of death and the police force control room’s response to a 999 call from the deceased whilst on the cliff edge. In 2021, in a week-long inquest, Susan represented the family of a prisoner, on the shielding list, who died from covid-19. Susan represented a registered mental health nurse in a 5-week Article 2 jury inquest. TD was a remand prisoner on a prison healthcare unit for mental health concerns who unexpectedly died from gastro-intestinal haemorrhage. The inquests considered complications arising from prescription medication, methods of requesting GP assessment, communication between prison and healthcare staff and the interaction of mental health issues on physical health care. In a 12-day, Article 2, jury inquest Susan represented a police force following the deceased having been recently discharged from a mental health ward and on the day of death telephoning mental health services reporting an intention to drive or jump into the Thames, following which mental health services called the Police call centre. In addition to considering the appropriateness of mental health care this inquest explored communication between mental health services and police, police call grading, application of the police national decision-making model, communication between the police call handling centre and force control room and police conduct at the riverside. In an 8-day jury inquest Susan represented a novice jet skier involved in a fatal collision resulting in the death of an experienced jet skier. The inquest involved complex factual and expert evidence, including expert evidence regarding water collision reconstruction and medical causation. The Coroner requested submissions on the appropriateness of leaving unlawful killing to the jury. Clinical Negligence Susan uses experience gained in her personal injury and inquest practice to assess claims in this area. Susan has advised Claimants and Defendants in deaths of adults and children arising from alleged clinical failures. Susan has recently advised on lifelong dental injuries and is interested in developing a cosmetic and dental negligence practice. In light of Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board [2015] UKSC 11 Susan has advised in cases relating to adequacy or otherwise of information given to patients upon which they are to decide whether or not to undergo a particular type of treatment. Susan is currently involved in a class action in this respect.
Specialises in personal injury claims representing both claimants and defendants; work includes trials and interlocutory matters on fast and multi-track cases, with a particular emphasis on cases where fraud / fundamental dishonesty is alleged. Also specialises in health and safety prosecutions and inquests: work includes acting for a corporate defendant in the manslaughter prosecutions arising out of the Hatfield train crash and in the subsequent appeal against sentence. Also accepts instructions in road traffic offence cases, costs litigation, and consumer credit (credit hire).
Practice consists principally of personal injury, clinical negligence, coronial work (both judicial review and representation at inquests) and employment. Recent reported personal injury cases include the litigation arising out of the Selby rail disaster, Great NE Railways Ltd v Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions LTL 30.10.03; Sandhar v DETR and Others [2005] 1 WLR 1632 and Mitchell v Department for Transport [2006] 1 WLR 3356. Coronial cases include Pearson v HM Coroner for Inner North London LTL 06.05.05 [2005] UKHRR 896; Plymouth City Council v HM Coroner for Devon & Sec of State for Education & Skills (intervenor) LTL 06.06.05 (2005) FLR 1279; and Clayton v HM Coroner for S Yorks East District & Chief Constable of S Yorks LTL 15.06.05 (2005) ACD.
William Irwin has spent the past year working as junior counsel on the Leveson Inquiry. He has maintained an advisory practice in personal injury, employment and general common law.