Partner Article

Prestigious event launches new No5 law group

No5 Chambers launched its Inquests, Public Inquiries & Coronial Law group by holding a prestigious seminar in Birmingham last Thursday, April 23, with the Chief Coroner of England & Wales delivering a keynote speech.

The new group draws together barristers with extensive experience in all fields of coronial law with an easily accessible link on the No5 website.

The seminar was aimed at all types of inquest practitioners who can now identify suitable counsel to deal with their specific inquest whether the death relates to clinical negligence, prison or police custody, military incidents, accident, HSE and child deaths, and all manner of Article 2 inquests. The group also offers considerable expertise in public inquires, including most recently the Hillsborough disaster.

The seminar was well attended with more than 70 delegates and the attendance of several senior and assistant coroners from across the country including Mr Nigel Meadows, Senior Coroner for Manchester City, Caroline Sumeray, Senior Coroner for the Isle of Wight (both of whom sat on the panel debate and successfully answered a flurry of penetrating questions from the audience) and No5’s Dr Simon Fox, who gave a talk on healthcare inquests and also sits as a Coroner in Avon.

Other speakers from No5 Chambers included Nageena Khalique QC, Head of the Inquests, Public Inquiries & Coronial Law group, who chaired the event and lectured on disclosure, exceptional funding for Article 2 inquests and Deprivation of Liberty. Richard Grimshaw delivered a talk on topical issues including costs, narrative and other conclusions. And Adrian Keeling QC gave an enlightened talk about deaths in custody and military inquests, an area of significant growth in recent years.

Alex Stein delivered an insightful lecture on Corporate Manslaughter, HSE & Police Evidence and an update on Hillsborough where he has been instructed on behalf of the Fire Service for the past year.

Finally, Ian Bridge provided a detailed exposition on the prevention of future deaths process and post inquest remedies. In his address, the Chief Coroner congratulated No5 on the event and commended inquest lawyers committed to providing support and representation in the circumstances of an often tragic and unexpected death. It was a salient reminder that coronial law requires not only diligence, fortitude and technical knowledge but a respectful and sensitive approach which No5 can without question provide.

One of the delegates, Molly Sanghera, a solicitor with Mills & Reeve LLP, was full of praise for the seminar.

She said: “No5 events are always extremely helpful, because the topics they cover are relevant to lawyers like myself. The guest speakers were topical, up to date on all of the current cases, and the follow up discussions were both interesting and insightful.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Taylor .