TGC Inquest & Inquiries Newsletter – Second Issue, November 2021

24th November 2021

Welcome to the second edition of the TGC Inquests and Inquiries newsletter, a twice-yearly publication, containing articles on recent key legal developments in these fields, as well as a selection of recent noteworthy cases in which Members of Chambers have been involved.

Our previous edition, published in March 2021, was published one year on from the first Covid-19 national lockdown, which had a huge impact on
inquests and public inquiries alike. At that time, inquests and inquiries were tentatively starting again, albeit with social distancing and additional technology measures. Now many inquests and inquiries are going ahead in person (or with hybrid in person/video link arrangements).

As such, it has been a busy few months for the Inquests and Inquiries team at Temple Garden Chambers. We were delighted to see that our recent work in this area has been rewarded with Chambers being promoted to a Band 1 ranking set for Inquests & Public Inquiries in Chambers and Partners UK Bar Rankings 2022, with a number of individuals being ranked individually, namely Andrew O’Connor QC, Cathryn McGahey QC, David Barr QC, Dominic Adamson
QC, Keith Morton QC, Nicholas Moss QC and Fiona Canby. All of these individuals were also ranked in the Legal 500 for Inquests and Inquiries, alongside Sian Reeves. We congratulate all members of the TGC Inquests and Inquiries team on this brilliant news.

In this edition, we provide updates relating to Law Sheet No.1 (which has been updated in light of Maughan), the Coroner’s Court competencies and toolkit, and the new Guidance Note 41 concerning Pen Portrait Material. Also on the subject of Maughan, Andrew Prynne QC provides an alternative and forthright perspective in response to Nick Moss QC and Scarlett Milligan’s article in the previous edition. Emily Wilsdon explores the case of Dove v HM Coroner for Teesside and Hartlepool [2021] EWHC 1738 (Admin) and William Irwin considers R. (on the application of Morahan) v Assistant Coroner for West London [2021] EWHC 1603(Admin). In the inquiries sphere, Andrew O’Connor QC and Piers Taylor provide an insight into Rule 9 Requests. In terms of recent noteworthy cases that our members have been involved in: Keith Morton QC and Fiona Canby provide an insight into the Croydon Tram Inquests and Richard Boyle reflects on the Fishmongers’ Hall Inquests.

We hope that this edition will be a useful resource for you.

Nicholas Moss QC and Harriet Wakeman
Joint Editors.

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