Recent news
Sophia Roper KC and David Lawson appear in Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Trust v. GWS & Ors (Capacity) [2025] EWCOP 23 (T3)
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 Represents Chief Constable of Sussex Police in High-Profile Misconduct Case
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.
Read more about the case here: Nimroy Hendricks: Social worker had concerns for killer child – BBC News
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.
Southport Inquiry: John Beggs KC, James Berry KC, Oliver Williamson, Chloe Hill
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.
13 Shortlistings for the Legal 500 Bar Awards 2025
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
Elliot Gold and Cecily White act for IOPC Director General in ‘Child Q’ police misconduct case
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 represents family of 16-year-old Elise Sebastian who died following neglect and gross failures in her mental health care
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.
Chambers blogs
Specialisms
Serjeants’ Inn specialises in important, high profile medical, police, regulatory, criminal and public law cases, often involving political, ethical or social issues: read more
Transparency Standards
Serjeants’ Inn accepts instructions from solicitors, whether working in private practice or in-house, and from individuals: read more
24 Hour Assistance
Serjeants’ Inn frequently deals with urgent applications including injunctions and declarations and provides a 24 hour service for matters requiring immediate assistance: read more
Awards
Junior Pro Bono Barrister of the Year
Jake Rylatt
NOMINATED
Female Trailblazer of the Year
Rachel Spearing
SHORTLISTED
Public Services and Charities Junior of the Year
James Berry
WINNER
Court of Protection Junior of the Year
Rhys Hadden
WINNER
Public Services and Charities Set of the Year
NOMINATED
Public Law Set of the Year
NOMINATED
Professional Disciplinary Set of the Year
NOMINATED
Court of Protection Set of the Year
NOMINATED
Clinical Negligence Set of the Year
NOMINATED
Set of the Year
NOMINATED
Best Chambers for Legal Tech
LONGLISTED
Best Chambers Supportiveness
LONGLISTED
Best Chambers for Quality of Work
LONGLISTED
Nageena Khalique KC
Advocate of the Year
WINNER
Set for Social Mobility Initiative of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Set for Race Equality Initiative of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Sarah Clarke KC
Business Crime Defence
LISTED
John Beggs KC
Professional Discipline Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Bridget Dolan KC
Inquests and Public Inquiries Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Simon Cridland
Professional Discipline Junior of the Year
WINNER
Clinical Negligence Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Inquests and Public Inquiries Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Professional Discipline Set of the Year
WINNER
Michael Mylonas KC
Court of Protection and Community Care Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
John de Bono KC
Clinical Negligence Silk of the Year
WINNER
Katie Gollop KC
Court of Protection and Community Care Silk of the Year
WINNER
Bridget Dolan KC
Court of Protection and Community Care Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Sarah Clarke KC
Financial Services and Insurance Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Claire Watson KC
Clinical Negligence Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Anthony Haycroft
Professional Disciplinary and Regulatory Junior of the year
SHORTLISTED
Heidi Knight
Clinical Negligence Junior of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Eloise Power
Clinical Negligence Junior of the Year
SHORTLISTED
James Berry
Public Services and Charities Junior of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Rhys Hadden
Court of Protection and Community Care Junior of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Cecily White
Professional Disciplinary and Regulatory Junior of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Catherine Calder
Chambers Leader of the Year
WINNER
Lee Johnson
Senior Clerk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Clinical negligence set of the year
SHORTLISTED
Court of Protection and Community Care Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Professional Disciplinary and Regulatory Law Set of the Year
WINNER
Public Law Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Public Services and Charities Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Marketing Team of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Front of House Team of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Sarah Clarke KC
Responsible Leader
SHORTLISTED
Mark Harries KC
Pro Bono KC of the Year
WINNER
Olivia Kirkbride
Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Tom O'Connor
Pro Bono Chambers' Professional of the Year
WINNER
Pro Bono Chambers of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Andrew Hockton
Professional Discipline & Regulatory Law Junior of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Angus Moon KC
Clinical Negligence Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Clinical Negligence Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Lifetime Achievement Award
Sir Robert Francis KC
Marketing & Front of House Team of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Catherine Calder
Chambers' CEO of the Year
SHORTLISTED
James Berry
Public Law Junior of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Heidi Knight
Clinical Negligence Junior of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Alan Jenkins
Professional Discipline & Regulatory Law Junior of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Sarah Clarke KC
Financial Services and Insurance Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Christopher Johnston KC
Clinical Negligence Silk of the Year
WINNER
John Beggs KC
Professional Discipline & Regulatory Law Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Public Law Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Professional Discipline & Regulatory Law Set of the Year
WINNER
Clinical Negligence Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Clinical Negligence Set of the Year
WINNER
Clinical Negligence Junior of the Year
Neil Davy
Professional Discipline Junior of the Year
Elliot Gold
Professional Discipline Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
John de Bono QC
Clinical Negligence Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Professional Discipline Junior of the Year
James Berry
Professional Discipline Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Claire Watson
Clinical Negligence Junior of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Clinical Negligence Set of the Year
WINNER
Clinical Negligence Silk of the Year
Christopher Johnston QC
Outstanding Contribution to Diversity & Inclusion Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Professional Discipline Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Gerry Boyle QC
Professional Discipline Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
David Morris
Professional Discipline Junior of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Elliot Gold
Leader of the future, Diversity & Inclusion
SHORTLISTED
Professional Discipline Silk of the Year
John Beggs QC
Chambers Innovation
WINNER
Chambers of the Year
WINNER
Award for Customer Focus
WINNER
Chambers of the Year
WINNER
Katie Gollop QC
Barrister of the Year
WINNER
Client Care Initiative of the Year
HIGHLY ACCLAIMED
Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Well-being
HIGHLY ACCLAIMED
Michael Mylonas QC
Clinical Negligence Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Angus Moon QC
Clinical Negligence Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Professional Discipline Junior of the Year
ANTHONY HAYCROFT
Clinical Negligence Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Angus Moon QC
Clinical Negligence Silk of the Year
SHORTLISTED
Client Management Innovation
FINALIST
Chambers of the Year
WINNER
Litigation Team of the Year
FINALIST
Set of the Year
WINNER
Clinical Negligence Set of the Year
WINNER
Bridget Dolan
WINNER
Set of the Year
WINNER
2015
Set of the Year
WINNER
The Lawyer Awards 2015
Bronze place
GERRY BOYLE
2015
Client Service
HIGHLY ACCLAIMED
Bronze place
SET OF THE YEAR
2016
JOHN BEGGS QC
2016
Set of the Year
HIGHLY ACCLAIMED
2016
Rising Star
CECILY WHITE
Professional Discipline Junior of the Year
ANDREW HOCKTON
Best Strategic Resource
2015
FINALIST
Professional Discipline Finalist
ANTHONY HAYCROFT
Best Service Innovation
FINALIST
2016
BRIDGET DOLAN QC
Professional Discipline Set of the Year
WINNER
Finalist
JOHN BEGGS QC