Inquests

Inquests are enquiries into how, when and where someone has died. They are run by coroners. Both the families of the bereaved and those who may have been involved in some way in the death can participate in inquests.

We can help you if your loved one has died in controversial circumstances involving a state body or public authority, including while in police custody or while in detention in prison, an immigration detention centre or psychiatric hospital.

We also help families in cases where the authorities knew your loved one was at risk from violent crime and failed to protect them. This has included a woman killed by violent prisoners, a disabled people killed after bullying and harassment, and victims of racist attacks.

Our lawyers are highly valued by the families we assist through very difficult times and processes that arise after a bereavement.

We can help you to understand the different processes, your options and to participate to the extent that you wish. We will ensure that you remain at the heart of the process and vigorously pursue issues that concern you in advance of and at the inquest hearing. We can help you to secure prompt disclosure of information and documents – disclosure that the authorities are often reluctant to make. We can also help you to formulate and argue for recommendations by the coroner which can help prevent the recurrence of a death in similar circumstances.

We can help you in the other processes that arise after a death including securing accountability of those responsible for the death through criminal and/or disciplinary proceedings, bringing compensation claims and securing policy changes.

Our cases range from those involving deaths arising from police restraint, shooting and assaults to those involving illness, overdose and self-inflicted deaths.

We work with organisations such as INQUEST to ensure that families understand and are in as much control as they can be in the difficult aftermath of their loved one’s passing. All our lawyers are members of the INQUEST Lawyers Group (ILG) and Jo Eggleton and Christina Juman sit on the ILG Steering Group.