Oliver Williamson

Public & Administrative

Experience & expertise

Inquests and Inquiries
Oliver represents families, doctors, Hospital Trusts and the Police at Inquests throughout the country. Oliver has a broad medical practice with particular experience in medical professional discipline and a wide experience of coroner’s inquests. He is instructed to appear in inquests lasting days to years. Oliver is also instructed by families in cases involving complex medical aspects including issues relating to delay in treatment or sudden unexpected deaths of partially or totally dependent patients. He is also instructed in lengthy Article 2 and jury inquests concerning deaths in custody involving multiple interested parties and concerning issues of mental health and the Mental Capacity Act.

Human Rights
Oliver has represented various Police forces in the High Court, including defending actions brought under the Human Rights Act.

Administrative & Constitutional Law
Oliver has a developing interest in all aspects of Administrative, Constitutional and Public law, including Judicial Review. Through work in his other practice areas, Oliver has an in-depth knowledge of the Disciplinary, Medical and Police sectors. Oliver advises the police on Constitutional Law matters and has represented various Police forces in the High Court, including defending actions brought under the Human Rights Act.

Mental Health/Best Interests
Oliver is a co-author on the fourth edition of Medical Treatment: Decisions and the Law edited by Christopher Johnston KC and Sophia Roper KC. He was also a contributor to the second and third edition.

Oliver is instructed by Claimants and Defendants in all aspects of medical work. He has a long-standing interest in cases involving difficult questions of consent and capacity. As a result of his wide interest on ethical cases, Oliver undertakes a wide range of healthcare work, representing both individuals and care providers. He is a co-author of Medical Treatment: Decisions and the Law (MTDL). He has a particular interest in cases involving difficult questions of consent and capacity and has contributed to a number of chapters in MTDL, including those on consent, treatment of suicidal patients, and human organ and tissue donation. He has experience of cases involving the UK fertility regulator the HFEA.

Cases & work of note

Oliver’s historic work in this field includes appearing as junior counsel in both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in Edwards v Chesterfield Royal Hospital, a case concerning the extent to which the statutory unfair dismissal regime displaces a common law cause of action, and appearing as junior counsel in the Court of Appeal in GMC v Southall, a case concerning inadequate reasons for findings made against a doctor. Examples of his outstanding work in this field includes:

• Higgins v General Medical Council [2024] EWHC 1906 (Admin): Please click here for the judgment.
• R (Ali) v Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police [2022] EWHC 646 (Admin): Led by John Beggs KC, please click here for press coverage, and here for the judgment.
• R (AR, by his litigation friend MP) v Waltham Forest LBC [2020] EWHC 622 (Admin): Represented the London Councils in this judicial review challenge concerning an alleged London-wide failure to provide secure accommodation for juvenile offenders. Please click here for the judgment, and here for the outcome of the subsequent appeal.