Inquests and inquiries

Leading Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

1
Brian Altman KC
2 Bedford Row
‘Brian is a powerful advocate and fearless in his representation.’
1
Fiona Barton KC
5 Essex Chambers
Fiona's reputation precedes her. Her legal acumen is matched only by her strategic insight, persuasive advocacy and unwavering professionalism.'
1
Jason Beer KC
5 Essex Chambers
 
1
John Beggs KC
Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
'Brilliant advocate. A masterclass every time.'
1
Hugh Davies OBE KC
Three Raymond Buildings
Hugh is a seasoned advocate in the field of inquests and inquiries. His advocacy is smooth and appealing, with flashes of steel when needed.'
1
Bridget Dolan KC
Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
‘Bridget is in a league of her own as an inquest lawyer.'
1
Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘A wonderfully compelling and passionate advocate who is fearless in the face of anything.’
1
Patrick Gibbs KC
Three Raymond Buildings
Patrick is one of the very best - he has a calm, analytical approach to complex legal issues.’
1
Nicholas Griffin KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman
‘ He is an exceptionally talented professional with a keen analytical mind and a deep understanding of the law.’  
1
Jonathan Hough KC
4 New Square
‘Jonathan is supremely intelligent.’
1
Samantha Leek KC
5 Essex Chambers
A silk of stellar quality.’
1
Keith Morton KC
Temple Garden Chambers
‘Keith is extremely calm in a crisis, astute and totally reassuring. He has a presence in court that is really quite something.'
1
Fiona Murphy KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘One of the top specialist inquest counsel in the country.’
1
Andrew O’Connor KC
Temple Garden Chambers
‘Very experienced, intelligent and strategic.'
1
Peter Skelton KC
1 Crown Office Row
‘He is cuttingly clever, and has exceptional foresight and strategy.'
1
Leslie Thomas KC
Garden Court Chambers
'Leslie is exceptional. His strategic and tactical advice is second to none.'
2
Kate Blackwell KC
2 Hare Court
Kate is excellent. She is a great team leader.’
2
Gerard Boyle KC
Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
‘A great legal brain and super advocate.'
2
Danny Friedman KC
Matrix Chambers
2
Jonathan Glasson KC
Matrix Chambers
‘Jonathan is a respected barrister with extensive experience.'
2
Eleanor Grey KC
39 Essex Chambers
A silk with exceptional intellectual rigour.’
2
Richard Horwell KC
Three Raymond Buildings
‘Richard is totally unflappable. He is a class act, with immeasurable experience.’
2
Phillippa Kaufmann KC
Matrix Chambers
2
Hugo Keith KC
Three Raymond Buildings
‘Hugo has an unparalleled air of authority and an excellent sense of judgement. He works incredibly hard.'
2
Jonathan Laidlaw KC
2 Hare Court
'Jonathan is what other barristers strive to be - the perfect balance of technical skills, common sense and grit.'
2
Cathryn McGahey KC
Temple Garden Chambers
2
Allison Munroe KC
Garden Court Chambers
2
Prashant Popat KC
Henderson Chambers
‘Prashant draws from a deep well of experience to deliver very pragmatic advice to clients.’
2
Jenni Richards KC
39 Essex Chambers
‘Jenni is a complete superstar.’
2
Neil Sheldon KC
1 Crown Office Row
‘Neil is first class. His advocacy and cross examination is masterful.’
2
Stephen Walsh KC
Three Raymond Buildings
.’
3
Dominic Adamson KC
Temple Garden Chambers
Dominic is extremely bright and capable. He is very approachable and gives clear, concise and accurate advice.'
3
Simon Antrobus KC
Crown Office Chambers
‘Simon has a tactical brain and is a very experienced advocate.'
3
David Barr KC
Temple Garden Chambers
3
Clodagh Bradley KC
1 Crown Office Row
‘Clodagh is a ferocious and meticulous advocate who truly fights for her clients.'
3
Matthew Butt KC
Three Raymond Buildings
‘A very impressive KC.’
3
Oliver Campbell KC
Henderson Chambers
‘Oliver is a great tactician.'
3
John Cooper KC
25 Bedford Row
‘A hugely experienced advocate.’
3
Clair Dobbin KC
Three Raymond Buildings
Clair's intellectual rigour is on another level. Her attention to detail and work ethic is incredible, and she goes above and beyond for her clients.'
3
Kate Grange KC
39 Essex Chambers
‘She is formidably bright, and can marshal facts and legal argument with great skill.’
3
Dominic Kay KC
Crown Office Chambers
He has a commanding court presence.’
3
Nageena Khalique KC
Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
‘She is a first-class advocate.'
3
Andrew Kinnier KC
Henderson Chambers
‘A silk of great intellect.’
3
Tom Little KC
Deka Chambers
An outstanding silk. His advocacy and legal knowledge cannot be faulted.’
3
James Maxwell-Scott KC
Crown Office Chambers
‘James is at the top of his game. He is pragmatic and demonstrates well- reasoned judgement and arguments.’
3
Rajiv Menon KC
Garden Court Chambers
‘He is a real star in every sense of the word. When times are darkest he truly shines.’
3
Alan Payne KC
39 Essex Chambers
‘Alan is an excellent advocate who has a very good manner with clients.’
3
Debra Powell KC
Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
Debra is a very cool head in what can be very difficult cases. She is straightforward, distils the issues and makes things simple and clear.'
3
Shaheen Rahman KC
1 Crown Office Row
Very broad experience of public law. Extremely hardworking.'
3
Oliver Sanders KC
1 Crown Office Row
'A wonderful advocate. He is extremely responsive.'
3
Malcolm Sheehan KC
Henderson Chambers
very effective advocate. He is courteous yet resilient, good at reading the court room and being adaptable.’
3
Maya Sikand KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘An excellent advocate who doesn’t back down.’
3
Stephen Simblet KC
Garden Court Chambers
‘He is innovative and creative in his approach to complex law.’
3
Hugh Southey KC
Matrix Chambers
A tactical master. One of the leaders in his field.’
3
Adam Straw KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘He has an incredible strategic brain and is always five steps ahead.’
3
Anne Studd KC
5 Essex Chambers
‘Extremely knowledgeable. A robust advocate with an absolutely no nonsense approach.'
3
David Travers KC
Gough Square Chambers
‘He has incredible intellectual flexibility and an innate ability to dissect complex issues.’ 
3
Claire Watson KC
Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
Claire is phenomenal. She is a powerhouse.’
3
Francesca Whitelaw KC
5 Essex Chambers
‘She has an excellent forensic brain.’
3
Anne Whyte KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman
Anne is an exceptional lawyer and advocate. She commands the confidence of the court and of juries.’
4
Nick Armstrong KC
Matrix Chambers
‘A very strategic and experienced advocate with a direct and approachable style.’
4
Dijen Basu KC
Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
4
Jude Bunting KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Excellent advocate, very strategic and user friendly.'
4
Jamie Burton KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Jamie is hugely talented and intelligent. A top-tier silk.'
4
Brenda Campbell KC
Garden Court Chambers
4
Sarah Clarke KC
Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
‘A hugely collaborative advocate. A real pleasure to work with.’
4
Gerard Forlin KC
Cornerstone Barristers
‘Gerard is an expert in his field. He is a formidable advocate.’
4
Katharine Gollop KC
Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
‘She is a wonderful advocate and a good team player.’ 
4
Tim Green KC
Henderson Chambers
‘Tim is very insightful and understands his clients well.’
4
Jeremy Hyam KC
1 Crown Office Row
Jeremy is highly intelligent. He can pick up the nuances of a case extremely quickly.’
4
Laura Johnson KC
Deka Chambers
Her advocacy is poised and persuasive.’
4
Tom Kark KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman
4
Sarah Lambert KC
1 Crown Office Row
Sarah’s advice is second to none.’
4
Richard Lissack KC
Fountain Court Chambers
‘He is beyond brilliant – a star in every respect.’
4
Tim Moloney KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Tim is a top silk. He is bright, personable and hard-working.’
4
Nicholas Moss KC
Temple Garden Chambers
‘Nicholas always commands the confidence of the court. He has an unrivalled work ethic.’
4
Rory Phillips KC
3 Verulam Buildings
‘An excellent advocate, who is meticulous and has real flair.’
4
Selva Ramasamy KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman
‘He is excellent at finding creative solutions.'
4
Toby Riley-Smith KC
Henderson Chambers
‘Toby is a highly sought after silk. He is charming and a delight to work with.’
4
Fiona Scolding KC
Landmark Chambers
Fiona's judgement is faultless and her knowledge of the law and procedure is unrivalled.’
4
James Strachan KC
39 Essex Chambers
‘James has a superb intellect and a careful, measured advocacy style.’
4
Katy Thorne KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘A truly awe inspiring KC.’
4
Geraint Webb KC
Henderson Chambers
An intellectual heavyweight who is able to work through the most knotty of issues.’
4
Aswini Weereratne KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Aswini is an articulate and tactically astute advocate.'
4
Richard Whittam KC
Matrix Chambers
‘Richard is unflappable in a court room. He is highly persuasive.’
4
Angus Withington KC
Henderson Chambers
Angus is first rate. He has no weak points.’

2025 Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

1
Amy Mannion KC
1 Crown Office Row
‘She is an exceptional advocate, incredibly well-prepared, and attuned to her client’s needs.’
1
James Berry KC
Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
‘James has excellent attention to detail and is meticulous in his preparation. His advocacy is excellent.’
1
Bilal Rawat KC
5 Essex Chambers
‘Bilal is passionate, intelligent and an excellent team leader. He is extremely hard working, strategic, smart and brings energy to any team.’
1
Rachel Spearing KC
Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
1
Adam Wagner KC
Doughty Street Chambers
Adam is a pleasure to work alongside.’
1
Emma Zeb KC
Gatehouse Chambers
‘Emma is in a class of her own.'

2024 Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

1
David Manknell KC
1 Crown Office Row
‘A careful and effective advocate, measured and calm.’
1
Dermot Keating KC
25 Bedford Row
Dermot is always meticulous in his preparation. He is a careful and considered advocate.’
1
Saba Naqshbandi KC
Three Raymond Buildings
‘Saba is always impeccably prepared, offers pragmatic and realistic advice, and is well liked by instructing solicitors and clients.’
1
Richard O’Brien KC
4 New Square
‘A great lawyer.’