5 Essex Court provides a comprehensive service in this practice area. Members provide (1) advice to police forces, individual officers, the Prison Service and other public authorities and organisations on pre-inquest issues such as investigation, disclosure, the need for a jury, anonymity, the ambit of inquests and the application of Article 2 of the ECHR; (2) individual and organisational preparation for inquests; (3) advocacy in the course of an inquest; (4) advice and advocacy in relation to challenges to the decisions of coroners; (5) assistance in the aftermath of inquests in relation to the implementation of recommendations and ensuring organisational learning.

Inquests and inquest-related judicial reviews in which members of chambers have appeared or are currently instructed, include:

• Inquest into the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes by members of the Metropolitan Police Service - members of Chambers acting for the Commissioner of Police and individual firearms officers.

• Inquests into the deaths of the Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed - members of Chambers acting for the Secret Intelligence Service.

• Inquest into the shooting of Terry Nicholas by MPS officers – members of chambers acting for the Commissioner and individual officers.

• Inquest into the death of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protest in the City of London - for the IPCC.

• R (Da Silva) v HM Assistant Deputy Coroner for Inner South London [2008] EWHC 3356 (Admin) – judicial review arising out of decisions of HM Deputy Coroner in the De Menezes inquest.

• R (Alessandro Pereira) V Inner South London Coroner (Defendant) & (1) Director Of Public Prosecutions (2) Independent Police Complaints Commission (3) Commissioner of Police of The Metropolis (Interested Parties) (2007) 1 WLR 3256 – judicial review concerning coroner's power to adjourn an inquest.

• R (Independent Police Complaints Commission) v HM Coroner for Inner North London [2009] EWHC 2681 (Admin) - circumstances in which coroner should permit the IPCC to attend a post-mortem examination - for the IPCC.

• Inquest into the death of Charlotte Shaw, a 14 year old girl who died whilst training for the Ten Tors Challenge on Dartmoor – for the Ministry of Defence. 

• Inquest into the shooting of Simon Murden by Humberside Police – for Humberside Police

• Inquest into the death of Adam Rickwood, the youngest person to take his own life in custody – on behalf of Serco Home Affairs.

• R (Pounder) v (1) HM Coroner for Durham & Darlington (2) Youth Justice Board (3) Serco Home Affairs [2009] EWHC 76 (Admin) – judicial review arising out of the inquest into the death of Adam Rickwood.

• Christine Hurst v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2007] 2 AC 289 (HL) –judicial review concerning the application of the Convention to deaths occurring before the implementation of the Human Rights Act 1998.

• Inquest into the death of Christopher Alder.

• Inquest into the shooting of Harry Stanley by the Metropolitan Police – for the MPS.

• Inquest into the death of Stephen Lawrence – for the MPS.

• Inquest into the deaths of those who died in the Marchioness disaster.

In addition, members of chambers lecture to solicitors, police forces and coroners on all aspects of inquest law and practice.

barristers specialising in Inquests

Fiona Barton QC
Jason Beer QC
Jeremy Johnson QC
Anne Studd QC
Samantha Leek QC
John Bassett
Nicholas Wilcox
Alison Hewitt
Andrew Waters
John-Paul Waite
Alan Payne
Matthew Holdcroft
Russell Fortt
Barnabas Branston
Elliot Gold
Lucinda Boon
Francesca Whitelaw
Beatrice Collier
Mark Thomas
Georgina Wolfe
Jonathan Dixey
Cicely Hayward