Laura Stephenson

Inquests & Public Inquiries

Laura has a busy inquest practice, predominantly acting on behalf of healthcare professionals and organisations. She represents NHS Trusts, care homes, doctors and nurses. Recent examples of instructions include:

• Representing a Trust providing addiction and mental health services in prison involved in a 4-week jury inquest;
• Acting on behalf of a GP who performed a mental health assessment on a patient shortly before the patient jumped from a multi-storey car park;
• Representing a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon following the death of a patient from infection shortly after post-operative discharge;
• Representing a nurse who was providing 1:1 care for a 7-year-old when he died in a post-operative care;
• Representing a care home following the escape of a resident who fell and died after leaving the home.

Laura has extensive working experience of public inquiries and inquests. She is currently instructed as junior counsel in the Infected Blood Inquiry. The Inquiry is examining the infection of NHS patients through the use of infected blood and blood products.

Laura was recently appointed as junior counsel to the Covid Inquiry Legal Team here.

Early on in her career at the bar, Laura assisted with the review and preparation of evidence for organisations involved in the Hillsborough Inquests, and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. She acted as disclosure junior for an interested party in the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry.