What inquests & public inquiry cases do we deal with?
Inquest & public inquiry claim types
Funding options for inquests & public inquiries
Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to secure public funding for inquest representation, or if that is not available we may offer representation on a “no win-no fee basis. Our team has represented at Public Inquiries where public funding has been secured to enable victims and families to take part.
Seeking answers and accountability
Inquests play a hugely important role in ensuring justice is served for those who lose their lives and ensuring lessons are learned to better protect the public in the future.
In cases when deaths have involved some recent contact with state bodies such as the prison service, the police, immigration officials or the NHS, Coroners can hold inquests under Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), which extends their scope to consider whether the state breached its duty of care to protect the deceased’s ‘right to life’.
Public Inquires investigate some of the biggest tragedies, failings and miscarriages of justice in our country and are held to ensure full and impartial investigations are carried out when things have gone badly wrong.
Legal representation at inquests
Inquests are publicly held court hearings, meaning the actions of public bodies are placed under scrutiny – often with media in attendance.
It is quite common for state bodies to face accusations of incompetence, neglect and substandard care, and as such, they are more often than not represented at inquests by legal teams who are employed to launch a firm defence of any suggestions they have failed in their duties.
For that reason, the role of a specialist lawyer to support families at inquests involving the state is now needed more than ever.
With the right advice and legal support, an inquest is often the first step on a journey towards answers for families who lose loved ones, holding any individuals or bodies to account, and preventing others suffering the same fate in the future.
It is why our team are dedicated to providing specialist inquest legal support to families, as we believe it is a time when it is needed most.
Legal representation at Public Inquiries
Public Inquiries play a hugely influential role in ensuring vital lessons are learned from some of the most devastating events and injustices we see in our country.
At Hudgell Solicitors our lawyers have represented at inquiries investigating the circumstances of disasters such as the Grenfell Tower fire and the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, which identified failings by MI5, in security services and the emergency response on the night.
We have also represented at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, which has examined how former subpostmasters came to be wrongfully prosecuted for crimes they had not committed at the.
Public Inquires are held to ensure people are fully questioned and held to account for their actions, but are also a process which can help rebuild public confidence after a major incident or failing, and lead to important changes being made to better protect us all in future years.
How we can represent you
Explained in five easy steps
Free Initial Advice
Call us, request a call back, or complete our online form and one of our team will assess whether we feel able to represent you.
Apply For Funding
Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to secure public funding for representation.
Disclosure
We will seek disclosure from relevant sources to ensure we can provide the best legal representation of your case.
Submissions and hearing
Ahead of any inquest or Public Inquiry we will make submissions to the Coroner / Chair, setting out key aspects of our case.
We will then support your throughout the hearing, ensuring you fully understand the process, evidence and findings.
Verdict / Findings
At the conclusion of an inquest or Public Inquiry our legal team will review the findings and any recommendations, and advise as to further possible legal action and potential civil claims.
Family pay tribute to Andy Kirby, a ‘kind, humorous, loving man’, after inquest concludes cause of death
The family of retired Humberside Police Detective Inspector Andy Kirby have paid tribute to him after a Inquest concluded the cause of death. Hull Coroners Court heard Mr Kirby did not die of Covid-19 as Hull Royal Infirmary told them, but of a “massive” internal bleed after being prescribed medication he had previously had an […]
Inquest told retired detective inspector died after being given medication that caused ‘massive’ internal bleed and not Covid-19, as hospital claimed
An inquest has heard a retired police detective inspector did not die of Covid-19 as a hospital claimed, but of a “massive” internal bleed after being prescribed medication he had previously had an adverse reaction to. 69-year-old Andy Kirby died on Christmas Eve 2020 at Hull Royal Infirmary days after initially being diagnosed with a […]
Manchester Arena Inquiry: ‘I’ve been left disabled and a prisoner in my own home. Compensation can help me get part of myself back’
Manchester Arena bombing survivor Joanne McSorley says she has been left a prisoner her own home as she continues to await compensation for the disabling injuries she suffered in the attack more than five-and-a-half years ago. Joanne, 49, of Runcorn, suffered catastrophic injuries to her left side and shrapnel injuries all over her body in […]
Manchester Arena Inquiry: ‘Still nobody has been held responsible for not stopping it happening. That needs to change’
More than five-and-a-half years since she suffered life-changing injuries in the Manchester Arena bombing, survivor Lisa Bridgett has still not received a single penny in compensation from the Government. At the arena waiting to meet her 17-year-old daughter Ashleigh at the end of the Ariana Grande concert, she was stood just metres away when suicide […]
Coroner says mental health hospital has ‘limited concern’ of vulnerable young patients using ligatures to self-harm following death of 17-year-old girl
A Coroner investigating the circumstances leading up to the death of a 17-year-old girl who was a patient at a mental health hospital says staff have “limited concern about the number of ligature incidents” on its ward and appear to have accepted them “as normal behaviour.” Abigail Combes, coroner for South Yorkshire has ordered Cygnet […]
Mental health hospital found to provide ‘insufficient care’ and ‘inadequate observations’ following the death of a teenage girl
The family of a 17-year-old girl who ‘would do anything for anyone’ but died after making ligatures in her room at a secure psychiatric hospital say changes must be made ‘to a failing system’ to prevent other families losing children struggling with mental health. The parents of Chelsea Blue Mooney, who was classed a ‘high-risk […]
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FAQs
Which deaths are reported to a Coroner for an inquest?
Coroners investigate deaths that have been reported to them if:
- The death was thought to be violent or unnatural,
- The cause of death is unknown after post mortem, or
- The deceased died while in prison, police custody or another type of state detention.
Coroners are either solicitors or barristers, and/or qualified medical practitioners. Families ask many questions in advance of an inquest, so the information below is set out to be helpful and informative.
It should also help put people at ease should they find themselves needing to attend an inquest in the near future, as inquests are there to help grieving families find the answers they both want and need to understand what happened to their loved ones.
Who takes part in a Public Inquiry?
A person who has played a role in the matters being investigated ,or has a ‘significant interest’ in them, can apply to be given ‘core participant’ status at the inquiry. Core participants – often those directly affected or families of loved ones – can be awarded funds to pay for legal representation, and their lawyers may be permitted to ask questions to other witnesses who give evidence.
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Meet our inquests & public inquiry lawyers
Dr Neil Hudgell
Terry Wilcox
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Feel free to give us a call or begin your claim online