Background

Simon Walsh now focuses his practice on police discipline and regulatory work.

He has a keen interest in the City of London where he was an elected member of the City Corporation for 23 years, which included terms as the Chairman of the City of London Police Authority and of the City’s Licensing Authority. Election as an Alderman of the City in 2000 led to Simon sitting for over a decade as a Justice of the Peace and Bench chair and sitting ceremonially as a judge of the Central Criminal Court. He is a Freeman of the City of London and a liveryman of 2 livery companies. In wider London politics, Simon served 2 terms as the Mayoral representative on the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.

Simon joined 5 Essex Chambers in 2007, having practised for nearly 20 years from Bridewell Chambers.

Expertise

After many years working for police forces across the country, giving advice and appearing as advocate in inquests and in cases before the High Court, the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the County Courts in civil jury trials, Simon began to specialise in police discipline cases (both as legal advisor and presenting counsel) following the Taylor review and the introduction of the Police (Conduct) Regulations in 2008 and 2012. He has led teams from Chambers lecturing across the country to all types of stakeholders in the new Regulations, ranging from ACPO officers to panels of independent members, where his two decades of Police Authority membership has proved unique and invaluable.

A growing specialisation in professional regulation sees Simon sitting on a regular basis as a legal assessor for regulatory panels of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, sitting in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Simon is often asked to sit on high-profile cases such as those flowing from the Staffordshire hospital scandal in 2005-2009 and cases involving nursing homes and other care facilities where undercover journalists have exposed serious weaknesses and criminal behaviour by registered nurses.

Simon’s areas of expertise in Court of Protection include:

Capacity
Deprivation of liberty
Best interests decisions
Deputyship matters
Lasting Powers of Attorney and Enduring Powers of Attorney
Medical treatment
Welfare matters including contact, residence and care decisions
Forced marriage
Safeguarding of vulnerable adults

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Instructing Simon
Please contact James Cole if you have any questions or wish to instruct us.

Call +44 (0)20 7410 2000 or click here to email

Education & Qualifications

  • 1987 – Called to the Bar by Middle temple
  • 1984 – Balliol College, Oxford (MA Modern Languages)
  • 1982-3 – Pädagogische Akademie des Bundes in Oberösterreich
  • 1985 – Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst
  • 1986 – City University, London (Diploma in Law)

Appointments

  • During 23 years of service in local politics, Simon was elected as Chair of the City of London Police Authority and the City of London Licensing Authority.
  • Unusually for a professional lawyer, Simon also sat as a lay magistrate in the City of London, Westminster and Highgate from 2000 until 2012.

Lectures & Seminars

  • Simon is happy to provide tailor-made lectures and seminars on all aspects of his work to any interested parties – with CPD accreditation where appropriate.
  • Simon has also lectured at the University of Durham on development in pornography legislation and at London South Bank University to students developing an interest in mooting.

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