Fiona Barton 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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Fiona Barton KC
Work Department
Fiona specialises in Police Law; Inquests and Inquiries; Public and Administrative; Professional Discipline; Human Rights and Information Law.
Position
Fiona is recognised as a leading silk specialising in all aspects of public law and police law (including inquests and inquiries and professional discipline). She has been instructed in the most high-profile police law cases of recent years, regularly appearing in the most complex, sensitive, ground-breaking and high value cases.
She has extensive experience in public law claims of significant public importance, including at Supreme Court level.
Fiona has been instructed in many of the most noteworthy cases of recent times including:
Inquests and Inquiries – the Forbury Gardens Inquests, the Plymouth Shootings Inquests, the Guildford Pub Bombings Inquests, Manchester Arena Inquiry, the London Bridge Inquest, the Fishmongers’ Hall Inquests and the Hillsborough Inquests.
Public Law – the judicial review concerning automatic facial recognition R (Bridges) v The Chief Constable of South Wales & others, the leading cases of Nunn (post-conviction disclosure obligations) and L (vetting of those working with children and vulnerable adults) and the Madeleine McCann judicial review concerning international cooperation.
Civil actions: BES v Cheshire West and Chester Council – high value warranty claim, McGoldrick & others v Chief Constable of Durham – claim arising from alleged shotgun licensing errors
Professional Discipline – proceedings against chief officers eg. ACC Beale and ACC Sutcliffe and proceedings against officers arising from deaths in custody including Kingsley Burrell and Leon Briggs.
Fiona contributed to the leading text book on police civil actions “Civil Actions against the Police” and regularly contributes to chambers’ publications.
Career
Fiona was called to the Bar in 1986 and became a member of 5 Essex Chambers following completion of her pupillage. She took Silk in 2011. She has over 30 years experience in her chosen areas of practice.
Please visit the 5 Essex Chambers website for Fiona’s profile, which sets out full details of her practice including relevant work of note.
Memberships
PIBA and ARDL
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Inquests and inquiries
(Leading 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)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2Fiona Barton KC –5 Essex Chambers ‘Fiona has experience, judgement, clarity of thought and a practical approach.’