Deans Court Chambers ‘has some of the best barristers doing some top-quality work‘, and in the inquests and inquiries arena, the set is home to the reputable Sophie Cartwright KC, who was notably instructed on the Manchester Arena inquiry. Amongst its strong bench of juniors, Elizabeth Dudley-Jones acts for local authorities, private companies, and professional regulators, as well as regulatory defence unions, and she frequently acts in cases arising from deaths in custody, deaths resulting from domestic violence, and deaths which raise questions surrounding mental or physical illness. Of recent note, Dudley-Jones was instructed on an inquest following the death of a convicted murderer after he swallowed drugs his girlfriend had smuggled into prison for him. The set is also home to Virginia Hayton, who is skilled in inquests arising from the death of individuals in health care settings, and Peter Smith, who has substantial expertise in both section 5(1) Jamieson inquests and Article 2 Middleton inquests. Tom Gent and Joseph Hart are also notable juniors who are regularly undertaking complex inquests and inquiries work at the set.

Garden Court North Chambers is praised as ‘a go-to chambers for inquests and inquiries’, and its members have significant expertise in representing bereaved families. Both public law specialist Pete Weatherby KC and Anna Morris KC are representing the Covid-19 Bereaved Families 4 Justice UK group at the public inquiry into the handling of the pandemic, as is inquest practitioner Kate Stone; she is especially skilled in representing bereaved families in inquests that engage Article 2 of the ECHR. One of the rising starts of the set, Lily Lewis, has a growing public law practice, and she was instructed on the four-day inquest arising from the death of 14-year-old Mia Janin, who died following allegedly being bullied by other pupils at JFS, a London secondary school, in a Snapchat group.

The members of Exchange Chambers advise the entire gamut of clients involved in inquests and public inquiries, including bereaved families and individuals, trade unions, clinical practitioners, governmental bodies and local authorities, police forces and officers, and prison officers. The set boasts particular expertise in inquests that engage Article 2 of the ECHR. Louis Browne KC is a notable presence in this area, and he is instructed on the forthcoming Thirlwall Inquiry into events at the Countess of Chester Hospital, for which former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby was convicted of murder and attempted murder of numerous babies under her care and is serving a whole-life sentence. David Sandiford is another active member of the set in inquests and inquiries, having been instructed on significant, high-profile cases across his career. Another key junior, Sara Sutherland, is active in an inquest arising from the death of a newborn baby born at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

The members at Kings Chambers act for a wide range of parties involved in inquests and inquiries, including bereaved families, local authorities, NHS trusts, government departments, care homes and insurance companies, and police and fire services. The set is home to Michael Rawlinson KC, who is skilled in handling inquests arising from the deaths of military personnel. Of recent note, he was instructed on the inquest examining the death of Olivia Perks, a student officer who took her own life at RMA Sandhurst. Sam Karim KC is another key name, and he is currently engaged in the Covid-19 public inquiry, representing multiple public bodies. Richard Borrett is often instructed by the families of vulnerable individuals that come to harm in the care of the state, as well as local authorities.

At Lincoln House Chambers, Kate Blackwell KC was appointed head of chambers in September 2023, and she specialises in public inquiries, having handled numerous significantly high-profile proceedings. Austin Welch has a broad-ranging inquests practice, with expertise in deaths in the workplace, healthcare institutions, care and nursing homes, prisons, and secure units. In an inquest into the death of a customer who suffered an anaphylactic shock after consuming dairy products, which she was allergic to, Welch represented Rare Restaurants, the owner of the Gaucho restaurant chain. Leila Ghahhary is another key name here, having been instructed on the Manchester Arena inquiry, and strong junior David Pojur joined the set in September 2023.

St John’s Buildings is home to Rebecca Titus-Cobb, who frequently handles cases arising from the death of children and self-inflicted deaths. Of recent note, she represented the daughter of a voluntary psychiatric patient in a jury Article 2 inquest arising from self-inflicted death by suffocation with a plastic bag.