Northern Circuit
Byrom Street Chambers has an excellent reputation for its ‘wealth of experience and knowledge’ and ‘real strength in depth’ in the clinical negligence space. The group reports an increase in instructions arising from birth injury claims, and continues to advise on a wide range of complex, high-value cases involving brain injury and cerebral palsy claims. Head of chambers Christopher Melton KC has ‘vast knowledge of maximum severity clinical negligence cases, and is a fount of knowledge in birth injury claims’. Deputy head of chambers Sally Hatfield KC predominantly acts for claimants in cauda equina, birth injury claims and wrongful birth claims. Jason Wells‘ ’attention to detail in the field of clinical negligence is unparalleled‘.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Mentions
Profile
Work Department
Personal injury, clinical negligence.
Position
Christopher Melton KC is a standout silk and the head of chambers who excels at representing claimants in high-value catastrophic injury and fatal accident cases, particularly those involving minors. He does a significant amount of appellate advocacy and has appeared in the Supreme Court numerous times. He is also praised for his personal commitment to providing training for up and coming barristers.
His Supreme Court cases are:
Armes v Nottinghamshire CC where the Appellant is seeking to establish that a LA owes a non-delegable duty or is vicariously liable in respect of sexual abuse perpetrated by a foster parent.
Woodland v Essex CC where the Claimant successfully established that a LA owed a non-delegable duty to a child brain damaged by the negligence of a non-employee swimming teacher.
Dunhill v Burgin where the Claimant successfully established that the settlement of a claim was invalid where the Claimant lacked litigation capacity, even where the Defendant had no knowledge of her incapacity.
Sienkiewiz v Greif where the Claimant successfully established liability on the basis that her mother’s mesothelioma was caused by negligence, even though the risk of contracting the disease was only slightly increased by the relevant exposure.
His Court of Appeal cases include:
Sabir v Osei-Kwabena, where the Claimant successfully resisted the Defendant’s appeal against a 25% contributory negligence finding against a pedestrian;
McCracken v Bell, where a brain injured pillion passenger on off road trials bike being unlawfully ridden on cycle path successfully resisted an appeal by the third party driver;
Waterhouse v Welsh, where the CA rejected a surgeon’s appeal against findings of negligence
Nunnerley v Warrington HA, where the CA refused the Defendant’s application for permission to appeal in a twin wrongful birth case, holding that damages were recoverable beyond the child’s age of 21.
Career
Called 1982, Gray’s Inn; KC 2001; Recorder 2005; Governor of the ICCA responsible for International Advocacy Training ; Former Head of Advocacy Training for the Northern Circuit
Languages
French
Memberships
PNBA
PIBA
Northern Circuit Medical Law Association
Education
Manchester Grammar School; Bristol University.
Content supplied by Byrom Street Chambers
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The clerks at Byrom Street are incredibly responsive, efficient and helpful. Matt Tudor is an exceptional clerk.'
- 'Matt Tudor is always willing to go above and beyond to help.'
- 'The clerks at Byrom Street are second to none. Lucy Bardsley is excellent.'
- 'All of the clerks provide a great service.'
- 'Byrom Street Chambers offers an impressive wealth of experience in the sphere of clinical negligence.'
- 'The go-to chambers for high-value complex claimant clinical negligence work.'
- 'A fantastic set.'
- 'Well respected and full of talent.'