Gordon William Menzies > Chambers of Stephen Hockman KC and Mark Watson KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

Gordon William Menzies

020 7797 8400 gordonmenzies@6pumpcourt.co.uk

Position

Gordon’s practice principally focuses on regulatory work, in particular health and safety. He both defends and prosecutes and has particular experience of cases involving breach of duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act (and related legislation) to manslaughter. He was recently instructed in the prosecution of an individual convicted of manslaughter and associated food safety offences after causing the death of a young woman by selling her toxic slimming pills via the internet (R v Rebelo). The work in the construction sector includes R v Claxton Engineering and others (quadruple fatality during construction of a pressure testing facility) whilst his experience in the transport industry has special focus on the rail industry such as R v Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Ltd (electric shock through contact with live overhead line on the railway) and R v Network Rail Ltd (electrical safety arrangements on the national rail network). His work also extends to the maritime industry (R v CRo Ports London [2016] EWCA Crim 1589). Cases which relate to social and medical care have involved prosecutions arising from the death of a service user in a care home (R v Robinia Care Group) and wilful neglect (R v Shyla Reddy).
His health and safety work extends to representation at Inquests, most notably the Inquest into the Potters Bar rail crash in 2002, product liability, gas safety and challenges to enforcement notices and food safety.
His work in the Employment Tribunals reflects long standing experience in employment law acting for both Claimants and Respondents. His discrimination practice extends to both direct and indirect discrimination, including transgender equality. Other work includes Edwards v Surrey Police [1999] IRLR 445 (time limits applicable in constructive dismissal cases),Truelove v Safeway Stores [2005] ICR 589 (time off for dependents) and Whitmar v Earth Island Publishing [2013] EWHC 1881 (Ch) (application of restrictive covenants in context of social media).

Career

Called 1998; Inner Temple.

Education

Loretto School, Musselburgh, Edinburgh; Girton College, Cambridge (BA).