Cobden House Chambers Inquest Team

Our inquest team has a depth of experience representing all interested persons within the coronial process, from initial conferences and pre-inquest reviews to full inquest hearings. The team also deal with judicial reviews arising from coronial proceedings.

Our expertise

The inquest team deals with coronial investigations arising from deaths in all manner of circumstances, including:

In hospital or another medical setting, including psychiatric inpatient facilities;
Where the deceased was receiving physical or mental health care in the community;
Care home deaths;
In police custody or prison;
Road traffic accidents;
Work place accidents;
Deaths by unlawful killing;
Deaths contributed to by neglect;
Suicide; and
Where the Article 2 right to life is or is arguably engaged.

Members of the team are regularly instructed to advise and represent:

Families;
Government departments (including the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Defence);
Various police forces;
Individual police and prison officers;
NHS Trusts and private healthcare providers;
Individual medical professionals;
Insurance companies; and
Coroners as counsel to the inquest.

Cobden House barristers have been instructed in the following notable inquests:

PC Ian Terry (2010);
Jordan Begley (2015);
Stephen Hunt (2016);
Cherylee Shennan (2019);
Jack Anderson Barnes (2020 - 2021);
Operation Jasmine/Brithdir Care Homes (2021);
Andrew Hall (2021);
Dylan Crossey (2021 - 2024);
Andre Moura (2022);
Harry Sykes (2022);
Marlene McCabe (2023); and
Katelyn Dawson (2024)

Why choose Cobden House Chambers?

At Cobden House Chambers our inquest team includes specialist barristers at every level of seniority so we are able to provide the appropriate barrister or barristers for your case. We accept instructions for inquests anywhere in England and Wales.

We pride ourselves on the top quality comprehensive service we provide our clients. We combine expert legal knowledge, thorough preparation, and the highest levels of advocacy, with a friendly and collaborative approach to our clients.

Several members of the team have appointments as assistant coroners or other judicial officers, and on the Attorney General’s panel of counsel to the Crown.

Chambers was awarded the BarMark by the British Standards Institute in conjunction with the Bar Council for 'high standards of service and practice management', demonstrating our commitment to meeting and exceeding our client requirements.

We appreciate that funding inquest representation can sometimes be challenging. Our dedicated clerking team are happy to discuss your specific requirements, suggest the most suitable barrister for your situation, and provide a fees estimate if required. Our barristers are prepared to accept legal aid funded instructions and in appropriate cases may even be prepared to act pro bono.