Administrative law - Public inquiries & coroners

Inquests take place in response to unexpected or unexplained deaths. The Coroner’s jurisdiction has recently undergone considerable change as a result of the Human Rights Act 1998 and will soon undergo significant revision under the Coroners and Justice Bill. Inquests are subject to particular procedural rules and pose unusual challenges for advocates. Members of 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square have considerable experience in this tricky jurisdiction and can provide essential guidance to clients as well as dealing effectively with the hearing.

Public Inquiries are judicial proceedings in which matters of pressing public concern such as disasters are investigated. 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square has developed outstanding expertise in this field, having represented interested parties in many of the major public inquiries in recent years including the BSE Inquiry (into the epidemic of BSE/CJD), the Bichard Inquiry (child protection after the Soham murders), the Zahid Mubarek Inquiry (racist murder in Young Offenders’ Institution), the Billy Wright Inquiry (murder of Loyalist by Republican prisoners in HMP Maze) and the ongoing Baha Mousa Inquiry (abuse of detainees in custody of Army in Iraq).