The barristers at Crown Office Chambers are often sought for their experience in high-profile inquests and prosecutions, with particular expertise acting on behalf of directors, managers, and major corporations. In R v Arcadia and Others, James Ageros KC acted for the claimant, going up against Simon Antrobus KC in relation to the death of a young child at a Topshop store, a death leading to the discovery of multiple alleged safety issues at various stores throughout the country. John Cooper KC acted for a man charged with a manslaughter offence for the death of an employee at a scrap site. Dominic Kay KC and Harry Vann acted in the trial and subsequent appeal on behalf of one of the defendants, ultimately clearing them of gross negligence manslaughter charges in relation to the death of four workers following an explosion at Bosley Mill. Also active in this case were Mark Balysz KC, Mike Atkins, Sandesh Singh, and Malcolm Galloway, all key figures in the junior ranks and acting as opposing counsel in the matter.

‘Superb set‘ Henderson Chambers fields expertise in HSE enforcement actions, investigations, and high-profile prosecutions. Oliver Campbell KC is acting for the defendants, while Prashant Popat KC is instructed by the prosecutor in a case regarding a fatal accident to an engineer as he carried out repairs to machinery in a private hospital. Toby Riley-Smith KC represented Whirlpool, the producer of the fridge alleged to have been the fire’s starting point, in procedural hearings relating to the Grenfell Tower disaster. Angus Withington KC acted for a precast concrete manufacturer and supplier facing allegations that hundreds of workers suffered permanent injuries at one of its concrete fabrication plant after being exposed to excessive vibration. Kathleen Donnelly KC is another notable figure, having had represented Vestas Wind Systems in the inquest into the death of an employee as a result of pulmonary thrombosis.

2 Bedford Row ‘has strength in terms of skillset and the numbers to give it the reputation it richly deserves’, with its members regularly acting on the defendant and claimant side with regard to a range of corporate and gross negligence manslaughter prosecutions in the retail, construction, entertainment and manufacturing sectors. In R v Hilux Ltd & Jalal Rana, Christine Agnew KC was instructed to represent both defendants with respect to health and safety offences arising out of a fatal accident on a building site in Birmingham. Alex Stein prosecuted for the CPS in R v Alutrade Limited and Others, a corporate manslaughter case arising from a workplace death at a recycling facility.

Providing ‘all round coverage in the health and safety, crime and inquests sectors’, the barristers at 2 Hare Court represent clients in a variety of sectors, including transport, food, healthcare, construction, and energy, acting in high-profile inquiries, manslaughter prosecutions, and cases brought by regulators and enforcement bodies. Chambers head Jonathan Laidlaw KC is acting on behalf of ShowSec and Live Nation in the inquiry and subsequent criminal investigation arising out of the Manchester Arena bombing. In addition, Tom Day went up against James Buchanan in a gross negligence manslaughter case in the wake of the death of a construction worker during the construction and refurbishment of a block of flats.

With ‘great depth in health and safety‘, Temple Garden Chambers‘ team is regularly instructed in corporate manslaughter cases and high-profile health and safety prosecutions under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The ‘wise and impressive advocate‘ Keith Morton KC acted on a waste management company alleged to have caused the death of a traffic marshal at the BBC Television Centre site during construction work. Dominic Adamson KC is acting on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, representing the Local Authority Building Control responsible for certifying cladding products in relation to Module 2 and 6. Fiona Canby is also active in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, advising the tower’s main contractor, Rydon Maintenance Limited in a criminal investigation relating to the fire.

Noted for its ‘excellent strength in depth‘, Three Raymond Buildings‘ health and safety team has a strong track record in representing individuals, companies and regulators in inquests; in a prominent example, Stephen Walsh KC continues to act for the London Fire Brigade in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Amongst the juniors, Sarah Le Fevre  acted for the defendant in HSE v Aviramp Ltd, which focused on a serious accident at a manufacturing company. In another matter, Saba Naqshbandi represented the London Fire Commissioner in a case in which BUPA was fined for admitted safety failures following the death of a care home resident.