Inquests & Inquiries
Jemma Lee represents family in inquest into the death of their baby son following missed opportunities in care
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“Intelligent, pragmatic counsel, with excellent client communication skills.”
Instructing solicitor, national firm
experience & expertise
Jemma has experience of acting for all types of interested persons in the Coroners’ Court. She regularly acts for the family, NHS trusts, and GPs however she has also acted for nurses, local authorities and the police. Jemma attends both pre-inquest reviews and inquests, often making submissions from an early stage with regards to the scope of the Coroner’s inquiry. She has acted in inquests where there have been submissions on natural causes, suicide, causative failings in care, narrative conclusions, neglect and gross negligence manslaughter. She has successfully secured neglect conclusions for family members and avoided neglect conclusions for healthcare providers. Jemma also has experience in seeking Preventing Future Death reports and minimising the risk of reports for healthcare providers.
Jemma has particular experience of acting in psychiatric inquests or inquests concerning an overlap with the Court of Protection. She has previously been instructed in inquests where the family challenged deprivation of liberty safeguards in place and sought to go behind orders of the Court of Protection.
Jemma has experience of bringing subsequent civil claims on behalf of the family and representing individuals in disciplinary proceedings following criticisms at an inquest. The overlap of inquests with her other practice areas is beneficial to her clients and allows continuity in legal representation.
cases & work of note
Inquest touching upon the death of RW: Jemma represented an NHS Trust in a four week jury inquest concerning the death of an individual in prison. Concerns arose over information sharing between the police, prison, and healthcare services. The inquest focused upon issues of mental health and suicidal risk.
Inquest touching upon the death of WO: Jemma acted on behalf of the family in an inquest concerning the death of a voluntary patient in a psychiatric hospital.
Inquest touching upon the death of MB: Jemma acted on behalf of a private hospital in a three day inquest concerning the use of anticoagulation following orthopaedic surgery.
Inquest touching upon the death of CH: Jemma acted on behalf of an NHS Trust in a four day inquest concerning the death of a psychiatric inpatient. No criticisms were made of the care provided.
Inquest touching upon the death of EB: Jemma acted on behalf of two GPs in an inquest concerning the rupture of an aneurysm. No criticisms were made of the care provided.
Inquest touching upon the death of JB: Jemma acted on behalf of a family who lost their son during childbirth. The inquest was critical of the care provided by the Hospital.
Inquest touching upon the death of MH: Jemma acted on behalf of the family in an inquest concerning the lack of psychiatric care provided to a suicidal father.
Inquest touching upon the death of RO: Jemma was led by Paul Spencer in a two week jury inquest concerning the transfer from adolescent psychiatry inpatient services to adult psychiatry services.
Inquest touching upon the death of MC: Jemma acted for a mother in a week long inquest concerning the death of an 18 year old in an eating disorder clinic. The inquest met with additional complexities as there were issues over disclosure of the deceased’s medical requests to family members and medical records were initially disclosed to legal representatives only. A subsequent civil claim was brought following the inquest and settled at the end of last year.