Francesca Whitelaw KC > Chambers of Jason Beer KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
5 Essex Chambers Offices
5 Essex Chambers
6 Field Court, Gray’s Inn
London
WC1R 5EF
England
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Francesca Whitelaw KC
Work Department
Francesca specialises in in government and police law. She represents public and private bodies in judicial review, civil actions, professional discipline, human rights, inquests and public inquiries.
Position
Francesca is a leading specialist in government and police law. She represents public and private bodies in judicial review, civil actions, professional discipline, human rights, inquests and public inquiries. Francesca has particular expertise in national security.
Francesca has been appointed as Counsel to the Crown (Attorney General’s A Panel) since 2020.
Francesca is currently instructed as junior Counsel to the Inquiry for the Sturgess Public Inquiry (Salisbury Novichok poisonings) and for Government in the Infected Blood Inquiry. She previously represented the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Home Office and MI5) and the Secretary of State for Justice (Prison and Probation Services) for the Fishmongers’ Hall Terror Attack Inquests, having acted in the same role for the London Bridge and Borough Market Terror Attacks and the Westminster Bridge Terror Attack. She was also instructed by the Secretary of State for the Home Department for the Streatham Terror Attack inquest. Francesca appeared in the Court of Appeal in Bridges v South Wales Police (first case in the world to consider the use of facial recognition by police). She was also previously instructed by the Ministry of Defence to represent former soldiers for the Deepcut inquests.
Francesca has authored articles for national publications and contributes to 5 Essex Chambers’ police law, inquests and data protection blogs and newsletters.
Career
Francesca was Called to the Bar in 2003 and has always practised at 5 Essex Chambers. She has been appointed to the Attorney General’s Panels of Counsel since 2012. In 2022 Francesca was shortlisted for the Legal 500’s Public Law Junior of the Year.
Please visit the 5 Essex Chambers website for her profile, which sets out full details of her practice including her current caseload.
Memberships
Administrative Law Bar Association
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Inquests and inquiries
(2023 Silks)Ranked: Tier 15 Essex Chambers houses a team of ‘clear leaders in the field of inquests and public inquiries‘. The group is well-known for acting for local authorities, the government and the emergency services in proceedings. Fiona Barton KC handles cases crossing over with her police law practice, having represented Devon and Cornwall Police in the inquests in relation to the 2021 Plymouth shootings, carried out by a man who had his shotgun returned to him after an assault allegation earlier that year. Jason Beer KC‘s recent track record includes instructing as counsel to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and representing the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Anne Studd KC works on cases with law enforcement elements. At a junior level, Alison Hewitt handles cases concerning deaths in custody, among others, while Beatrice Collier was one of several members of chambers instructed in the inquest into the death of Gaia Pope, who went missing in November 2016 after making an allegation of rape, which Dorset Police did not action. Francesca Whitelaw KC took silk in 2023.
London Bar > Police law (forces and constables)
(2023 Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Francesca Whitelaw KC –5 Essex Chambers ‘Francesca is approachable and devastating in court. She is robust but fair and manages to navigate a careful line of maintaining both her client and the court confidence.’