The GMC made an application for an extension of an interim order on the doctor’s registration, pursuant to section 41A(6) of the Medical Act 1983. The doctor had been under investigation by the police in relation to a serious sexual offence. The police investigation had closed with no action, and the GMC’s own investigation had made limited progress since then. The alleged offence did not involve a patient or colleague of the doctor. On behalf of the doctor, it was argued that the statutory test for an extension was not satisfied. There was no issue of patient safety and no public interest in the imposition of an interim order. Any residual public interest there might be was heavily outweighed, on the facts of the case, by the doctor’s own interests. HHJ Halliwell, sitting as a deputy High Court Judge, dismissed the GMC’s application, revoked the current interim order and made a costs order against the GMC. The judge also made an anonymity order on behalf of the doctor.

The doctor was represented by Andrew Hockton, instructed by Brendan Costello from Gordons Partnership.

Chambers invites applications for a six-month probationary tenancy (commonly known as a Third Six Pupillage) focusing on police law in all its forms, including civil and human rights claims, inquests, inquiries, judicial review, misconduct, operational policing matters and civil preventative orders. For more details about our police law work please see the practice page here, as well as this interview with James Berry KC who, with Cecily White, leads our Police Team.

The successful candidate will be invited to make an application for full tenancy on the completion of their probationary tenancy. Although an offer of full tenancy is not guaranteed, we will only recruit a candidate who we anticipate has the potential to have a successful, happy and rewarding career as a full tenant of Serjeants’ Inn.

The probationary tenancy is unfunded but reasonable travel expenses may be available in certain circumstances and the successful candidate will not make any financial contribution to Chambers during the probationary tenancy.  The probationary tenant will be fairly allocated work and will be involved in the same career development and social events as full members of Chambers (see examples of support provided here). They can expect a busy practice, appearing regularly in Court from the outset.  Chloe Hill, a junior tenant, comments on our Chambers recruitment website here, “Police law is a great way of practising a range of public law including inquests, inquiries and judicial review. The breadth of police law also means you will be providing written advice and taking on your own cases very early on”.

The probationary tenant will be assigned a member of Chambers who, like a Pupil Supervisor,  will actively mentor their professional development, remuneration and wellbeing and – with our Head of Pupillage, Eloise Power – provide guidance and feedback throughout their probationary tenancy and application for full tenancy. We will also provide a separate welfare mentor.

The application process

Chambers is committed to fair and transparent recruitment, recruiting purely on merit in accordance with the Equality and Diversity Rules .  We encourage applications from all sections of the community, including groups which are currently underrepresented in the legal sector, and are happy to make reasonable adjustments as necessary. All applications will be treated with strict confidentiality and considered:

a) by reference to the applicant’s potential to develop a cutting-edge understanding of police law and excellence in written work including civil pleadings, advocacy and trial tactics, as evidenced by all the elements of their application, including references and paperwork as detailed below; and

b) in accordance with the selection criteria we apply to pupillage recruitment as follows:

•  analytical thinking
• commitment to a career at Chambers
• effective communication
• integrity
• intellectual ability
• interpersonal skills; and
• motivation and resilience.

For the avoidance of doubt, the successful candidate will be completing or will have completed their pupillage at another first rate set of Chambers. They do not need prior experience of police law, but should have a grounding in civil law.  Knowledge of public law would be an advantage but is not a requirement.

Please see more about our approach to equality and diversity here. We seek to operate in a fair and inclusive way in order to achieve the Bar Council’s stated aim of “a profession representative of all and for all.”

The deadline for applications for this probationary tenancy, which will commence in Autumn 2025 on a date to be agreed, is 29 August 2025.  Please send a CV and covering letter to probationarytenancy@serjeantsinn.com, illustrating how  your education, work experience and pupillage equips you for this role and why you are interested in practising in police law at Serjeants’ Inn, plus three examples of anonymised paperwork (one pleading, one advice and one skeleton arguments) and the contact details of three referees, at least one of whom should be a previous Pupillage Supervisor or Head of Pupillage.  Please also provide a completed copy of our Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form.

Sophia Roper KC and David Lawson both appeared in Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Trust v. GWS  & Ors (Capacity) [2025] EWCOP 23 (T3) , where the Vice President of the Court of Protection had to contend with complex capacity evidence relating to a young man with significant physical challenges and a history of using street drugs.  Theis J heard capacity evidence from multiple psychiatrists and treating clinicians and delivered a detailed judgment on the subtle questions of capacity involved.

Rachel Spearing KC acted for the Chief Constable of Sussex Police in a high-profile case involving two officers accused of assaulting a 92-year-old man in a care home. The officers were acquitted of criminal charges; however, they now face gross misconduct proceedings.

Rachel specialises in police law, particularly in cases involving misconduct and public interest considerations. Her experience includes advising on complex operational decisions and representing senior officers in sensitive legal matters.

The Southport Inquiry, chaired by Sir Adrian Fulford, opened today in Liverpool Town Hall.

On 29 July 2024, Axel Rudakubana carried out a brutal knife attack at a children’s dance club in Southport.  He murdered 3 young girls, Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King, and injured 10 other people. Sixteen others survived the attack but live with the serious emotional consequences.

Phase 1 of the Inquiry aims to (i) establish a definitive account of the events leading up to the Southport attack and the attack itself; and (ii) review the decision-making and information-sharing by local services and agencies which interacted with Axel Rudakubana prior to the attack to examine whether there were opportunities to manage the risk he posed to the public, making any required recommendations for improvements.

The Inquiry is the subject of widespread ongoing media coverage.

James Berry KC and Chloe Hill act for Merseyside Police.

John Beggs KC and Oliver Williamson act for Lancashire Police.

With thanks to our clients for their ongoing support, we are delighted to announce that – for the third year running – we have been nominated by the Legal 500 as Set of the Year for five of our practice areas, ie Clinical Negligence; Court of Protection; Professional Disciplinary and Regulatory; Public Law; and Public Service and Charities.

Congratulations to our eight barristers who are individually shortlisted as follows:

Clinical negligence Silk of the year – Simon Fox KC  

Corporate crime Silk of the year – Sarah Clarke KC

Court of protection Junior of the year – Rhys Hadden

Court of protection Silk of the year – Bridget Dolan KC  

Court of protection Silk of the year – Nageena Khalique KC

Professional disciplinary and regulatory Junior of the year –  David Morris

Public services and charities Silk of the year – John Beggs KC

Public services and charities Junior of the year – Cecily White

The Independent Office for Police Conduct brought a misconduct case against three police officers involved in a strip-search of ‘child Q’ – a fifteen year old, Black girl. Elliot and Cecily were instructed to advise on and present the case for the Director General.

After a four-week hearing, two officers were dismissed and one received a final written warning for what the misconduct hearing panel described as a “disastrous and negative interaction” between the police and child Q by subjecting her to a strip-search that “should never have been undertaken”.

The IOPC statement is here.

News articles include:

Child Q violated in strip-search, hearing told

Strip-search police told girl she may be arrested

Two Met officers dismissed for gross misconduct after strip-search of black schoolgirl

Two Met officers committed gross misconduct in child Q search, panel says

Officers who strip-searched black girl at school are sacked

Police officers who strip-searched girl, 15, sacked

Elliot Gold’s profile is here.

Cecily White’s profile is here.

Rachael Gourley, instructed by Amanda Smith and Nina Ali of Hodge, Jones and Allen, represented the bereaved family of Elise Sebastian at the Article 2 jury inquest into her death.

Elise, a vulnerable 16-year-old with autism, died after tying a ligature around her neck on 17 April 2021 whilst a patient under the Mental Health Act 1983 at St Aubyn’s Centre in Essex.

The jury found that Elise’s death could have been prevented or her life prolonged if not for multiple failings in her care, stating that there were two main factors as follows:

(a)    “poorly administered observations due to poor staffing levels and falsified information in observation forms”; and

(b)    “Elise being able to gain access to her room and her observation level in an isolated area not being considered”.

Finding that these factors led directly to Elise tying the fatal ligature, the jury concluded that Elise’s death was contributed to by neglect. The Area Coroner indicated that she will be issuing a Prevention of Future Deaths Report addressed to Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust in respect of Elise’s death. This will be published in due course.

The inquest heard from 30 witnesses, including two expert witnesses, over 5 weeks. Media coverage is available here: BBC, BBC, and ITV.