Recovering Inquest Costs in Civil Claims

Written by: Anthony Searle
Published: 17 September 2019

Fullick v The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2019] EWHC 1941 (QB)

The funding of representation for the bereaved at inquests is not just an un-level playing field, but a total quagmire often more akin to the aftermath of an outing of the 1988 Pontypool front row on a rainy day in December. The costs of representation at an inquest will only be met from public funds in cases deemed to be ‘exceptional’ (where, as a minimum, Art 2 is engaged or where it can be shown that the provision of advocacy for the bereaved family at the inquest is likely to produce significant benefits for a wider class of people). Calls for non-means tested funding for the bereaved, even though supported by the Chief Coroner[1], have been rejected[2] [3]. Even the families of those killed in the London Bridge attack were told it was not in the public interest for them to receive state funding at the inquests[4].

Against that background, it is unsurprising that there is a growing body of case law regarding the recovery of the bereaved’s inquest costs as part of the costs of a subsequent successful civil claim. The amounts at stake can be very large even though the civil claim will often settle pre-action following pejorative inquest findings.

Some of the principles in play are now helpfully set out in the recent case of Fullick – an appeal of a Deputy Master’s order that the Met Police should pay costs of over £88,000 following the pre-action settlement of a claim for damages for breach of Art 2, negligence and misfeasance in public office in a death involving the police.

The decision is worth a read for its consideration of the purpose and function of an inquest, as well as its setting out of the principles underpinning the recoverability of inquest costs.

Managing tricky inquest applications: Anonymity, bad character and propensity evidence

Written by: Bridget Dolan KC
Published: 16 September 2019

Procedural Notes from the Birmingham Pub Bombings and Deepcut Inquests

We all like a free helping hand, and so at the UKIL Blog we are happy to be able to share with the blogosphere the recent wisdom of two ‘Judge Coroners’ who have drawn up route maps to determining complicated procedural issues arising in their inquests.

None of what follows is formal guidance of course, but, practical tips from others’ experience are always useful, and coroners and inquest advocates might find these notes provide a helpful starting point when dealing with such matters, particularly when they have not, as yet, been addressed in the official ‘Chief Coroner’s Guidance’[1].

“Flagrant disregard for the inquest and its processes” – fines, prosecution and double jeopardy

Written by: Bridget Dolan KC
Published: 4 September 2019

R v Lawrence [2019] Wimbledon Magistrates Court

The unprecedented tale of “Dr.” Duncan Lawrence and his withholding of information from a coroner about his involvement in the death of the teenager Sophie Bennett has already gripped the headlines. This highly unusual criminal prosecution of a healthcare staff member who failed to give evidence at an inquest into the death of one of his patients is thought to be the first of its kind under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009[1]. The saga has now taken a further extraordinary turn.

Despite having pleaded “100% guilty” on 16 August 2019, on subsequently attending court for sentencing Lawrence sought and was given an adjournment so that he may consider resiling from his earlier guilty plea.

The question that arises is whether, having already been fined £650 in May 2019 by the Assistant Coroner for his non-attendance at the inquest (pursuant to Schedule 6 part 6 CJA 2009), Lawrence is being put in double jeopardy by the additional criminal prosecution of him under Schedule 6 part 7 of the Act.

Over half a century later it’s still in the interest of justice to order a fresh inquest

Written by: Rachel Spearing
Published: 29 July 2019

Frost v HM Coroner for West Yorkshire (Eastern District) [2019] EWHC 1100 (Admin)

Where new evidence becomes available which renders an inquest’s factual basis inaccurate the interests of justice remain the touchstone for applications under section 13: even the passage of over half a century does not remove the necessity and desirability of ordering a fresh inquest.

Here a bereaved brother successfully applied to quash the decision of the Inquest held in 1966 (under the 1926 Act), which had found that Ian Spencer had murdered his 14 year old sister, Elsie Frost.

Spencer had been committed for trial, but the Crown had offered no evidence against him. A new investigation initiated in 2015 had implicated another man, Peter Pickering, who was already serving a life sentence for manslaughter of a 14 year old in 1972. However, Pickering died in 2018 before a charging decision could be made. The police twice publicly stated they believed he had killed Elsie.

The Coroner questioned the value of a fresh Inquest both in terms of the public interest and the interests of the families, and so left it to the bereaved family to go through the process of seeking a fiat and making an application for a fresh inquest. The Divisional Court clearly did not share the Coroner’s concerns. Indeed, the judgment provides a handy ‘nutshells’ review of the issues relevant to the passage of time in an application under section 13, including the interests of the bereaved, of properly exploring deaths and of setting the record straight. The issue of whether 53 years should render the further investigation into the tragic case unnecessary did not trouble the court,

“Public interest has not been significantly vitiated by the lapse of time”

Seeking a secret inquest? A lesson in how NOT to go about asking for reporting restrictions

Written by: Bridget Dolan KC
Published: 28 June 2019

Re AB (Application for reporting restrictions: Inquest) [2019] EWHC 1668 (QB)

When seeking any order it always helps to make the right application, to the right court, following the right procedure. Although when it does go horribly wrong it at least provides valuable learning for the rest of us.

So make sure you are sitting comfortably, and get ready to be educated by Mr Justice Pepperall dishing out a lesson on making an application for reporting restrictions in respect of an inquest.