Cecily White

Call 2011

Cecily White | Call 2011

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Overview

Cecily is a leading regulatory junior with particular expertise in police misconduct.  She regularly appears before misconduct panels and in related appeals, judicial reviews, and disputes over the application of the police misconduct regime.  In 2023 Cecily was nominated by The Legal 500 as professional disciplinary and regulatory junior of the year.

“Cecily is a very clever lawyer. A go-to for Police Misconduct matters”
Chambers & Partners 2025

Cecily co-presented the ‘Child Q’ police misconduct case involving the strip-search of a black schoolgirl, in June 2025.  See here.

Professional Discipline & Regulatory

Cecily has successfully presented numerous gross misconduct and “fast track” cases against senior counsel including silks.  She is adept at drafting charges, responding to procedural challenges, and navigating the police conduct and performance regimes.  Recent cases have involved allegations of sexual assault and harassment; inappropriate relationships with colleagues, witnesses and victims of crime; dishonesty and corruption.

Cecily frequently advises on the handling of complaints, recordable conduct matters and referrals to the Independent Office for Police Conduct; and the relationship between criminal, misconduct, civil and employment proceedings.  She has advised on and acted in numerous appeals before the Police Appeals Tribunal and judicial reviews arising out of decisions taken by appropriate authorities and misconduct panels.

Cecily has appeared before a variety of other professional tribunals including the General Medical Council and the General Dental Council.

cases & work of note

Current and recent work has included:

  • Child Q Gross Misconduct Hearing [June 2025]
    Co-presenting (with Elliot Gold) on behalf of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) the gross misconduct case against three Metropolitan Police officers who were involved in the strip-search of a black schoolgirl at her school in Hackney.  The Panel found Gross Misconduct and dismissed two of the three officers.  See media coverage here.
  • R (on the application of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner) v Police Misconduct Panel & PC Mark Neale [2025] EWHC 1462 (Admin)
    Acting for the Claimant Commissioner in successful judicial review of a decision of a Panel to dismiss allegations of sexual misconduct at half-time.  Fordham J considered the application of R v Galbraith in disciplinary proceedings and agreed that the allegations should be remitted for a re-hearing.
  • Former PC John Apter [September 2024]
    Successfully presenting the gross misconduct case against PC John Apter, former head of the Police Federation for England & Wales.  Please see here.
  • Gray v Police Appeals Tribunal [2018] EWCA Civ 34
    Resisting the judicial review of a decision to bring fresh Part 4 misconduct proceedings against an officer acquitted in the Crown Court of serious sexual offences (led by John Beggs KC). The appeal concerned the use of Part 5 (“fast track”) misconduct proceedings where an officer has sustained a criminal conviction which is overturned on appeal.

Recommendations

Cecily is recognised as a leading junior by The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. She was shortlisted for Professional Disciplinary Junior of the Year, Public Law Junior of the Year, and Public Services Junior of the Year at the 2023, 2024 and 2025 Legal 500 Bar Awards respectively. Recent editorials include:

  • a top-rate barrister and knows her stuff;
  • very thorough and responsive;
  • has a tremendous ability to master the detail in the most complex of cases;
  • working with her is always a pleasure;
  • Cecily is a very clever lawyer;
  • a go-to for Police misconduct matters;
  • Cecily advises at the highest level.