Oliver Williamson

Inquests & Inquiries

experience & expertise

Oliver has appeared for Interested Parties in some of the most high-profile investigations of the day, including the Southport Inquiry, the Covid-19 Inquiry and representing the match commanders in The Hillsborough Inquests. He was also instructed by Surrey Police in relation to the Deepcut Inquests. He advises organisations on issues relating to public inquiries. He acts for police officers and forces, clinicians, hospital trusts and private healthcare providers, and bereaved families, in inquests throughout England and Wales.

Examples of Oliver’s police work in the field include:

• Inquest Touching the Death of Robert Evans [2024]: Represented Merseyside Police in the Inquest into the death of Robert Evans, a 59-year-old man forcefully detained by police for the purposes of conducting a search. Mr Evans was released and later found dead at home. Please click here for news coverage.
• Inquest Touching the Death of Kelvin Bainbridge [2024]: Led by John Beggs KC, represented Durham Police in the high-profile Inquest into the death of Kelvin Bainbridge, a 19-year-old man involved in a police car chase who crashed and suffered fatal injuries. After a two-week Inquest the Jury identified no fault on the part of any individual officer or Durham Police more generally. Please click here for news coverage.
• Inquest Touching the Death of Michael Downworth [2022]: Represented Durham Constabulary in the Inquest into the death of Michael Downworth, an individual who was found to have died by suicide in the woods after he told police that if charged with certain serious offences he would harm himself. The coroner returned a short form conclusion of suicide and made no Prevention of Future Deaths report in relation to the police. Please click here for news coverage.
• Inquest Touching the Death of Devoy Burton-Stapleton [2020]: Represented the Metropolitan Police in this high-profile case concerning the death of Devoy Burton-Stapleton, a 20-year-old man who suffered a fatal knife injury in the early hours of 1 April 2018. It was known that the deceased and one other male had an altercation which resulted in Mr Burton-Stapleton’s death, but despite a full and thorough police investigation the coroner was unable to conclude whether it was an accident or deliberate. Please click here for news coverage.
• Inquest Touching the Death of Olivia Burt [2020]: Represented Durham Police in relation to the Inquest into the death of Olivia Burt, a 20-year-old woman and university student who died outside a nightclub. Please click here for news coverage.

He also has extensive experience in medical inquests concerning mental health and potential harm in the community, including:

• Inquest Touching the Death of Ania Sohail [2024]: Represented a Pharmacist in the Inquest into the death of 22-year-old Ania Sohail, a woman who suffered from an emotionally unstable personality disorder and sadly died after taking an overdose of medication obtained from online pharmacies. The Jury concluded that there was a lack of integrated system or records in respect of online pharmacies. A Prevention of Future Deaths Report was sent to the Secretary of State for Heath and Social Care in relation to concerns of online prescribing. Please click here for news coverage.
• Inquest Touching the Death of Jordan Clare [2022]: Represented a number of GPs, as well as a GP practice generally, in the Inquest into the death of Jordan Peter Clare, a 22-year-old man with diagnoses of ADHD, attachment and conduct disorders who died from hanging. The Inquest considered the extent to which medication impacted upon Jordan’s mood and scrutinised contact between Jordan and his GP in the days leading up to his death. The Coroner found that there was no immediate need for the GP to share information regarding Jordan’s thoughts of self-harm with other agencies. Please click here for news coverage.
• Inquest Touching the Death of Rachel Slack [2013]: Represented a GP who saw Andrew Cairns shortly before the murders. Please click here for news coverage.

Oliver has in the past acted in a number of high profile inquests concerning children:

• on behalf of the family of five year old Harry Mould (click here and here for press coverage);
• on behalf of the family of one year old Mia Elcock (click here for press coverage);
• on behalf of the family of fourteen-year old Sophie Harmsworth (click here for press coverage); and
• on behalf of an individual clinician in the inquest touching the death of Connor Sparrowhawk (click here for press coverage).

recommendations

‘Oliver is always very well prepared. His advocacy style is calm, collected, and conducted in a measured way so that he always gets to the root of the problem.’
The Legal 500

“Oliver is always well prepared, focused and diligent.”
Legal 500

‘Excellent, pragmatic advice with a great eye for detail.’
The Legal 500

‘Very fair and measured, knows his papers, and is persistent but polite to witnesses.’
The Legal 500

“Very impressive, he works hard at all hours, gives very careful consideration to documents and is a wonderful tactician. He is approachable, has a good eye for detail and thinks outside the box.”
Chambers & Partners

 “A lawyer with a nice manner and good judgement whose standard of cross-examination is excellent.”
Chambers & Partners

“Particularly impressive.”
The Legal 500

“Very impressive, he works hard at all hours, gives very careful consideration to documents and is a wonderful tactician. He is approachable, has a good eye for detail and thinks outside the box.”
Chambers & Partners

publications

• Oliver co-authored chapter nineteen: Human Organ and Tissue Donation in the fourth edition of the book Medical Treatment: Decisions and the Law, edited by Christopher Johnston KC and Sophia Roper KC and written by 27 members of Serjeants’ Inn. He was previously a co-author of second (2009) and third (2016) editions of the same work, in which he wrote on ‘The Mental Capacity Act in Action’.