Nikita McNeill

Inquests & Public Inquiries

Nikita has been consistently ranked as a leading individual in the Inquests and Public Inquiries section of both Chambers & Partners UK and Legal 500 since 2018.

Nikita is a sought after junior for complex and high profile inquests and public inquiries. She is regularly instructed on behalf of a wide range of interested persons and core participants.

Nikita has experience of the lengthy and complex procedures required for applications to the Attorney General for a fiat to overturn the findings of an inquest and has both advised upon and acted in judicial review proceedings arising from inquests.

Notable Cases:

Independent Inquiry into Afghanistan

Nikita is currently instructed by the Government Legal Department to represent the Ministry of Defence in the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan, which was established to investigate matters arising from the deployment of British Special Forces to Afghanistan between mid-2010 and mid-2013.

Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry

Nikita is currently instructed on behalf of the Post Office in the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry established to gather a clear account of the implementation and failings of the Horizon IT system at the Post Office over its lifetime.

Inquest touching upon the death of Andrew Clarke

Nikita was instructed by a private mental health facility in an Article 2 jury inquest following the death of a detained patient from diabetic ketoacidosis as a result of failings identified in the facility’s management of his diabetes.

UK Covid-19 Inquiry

Nikita currently acts for the Welsh Government in their role as Core Participants to the independent public inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. Nikita is taking responsibility for the Inquiry’s Module 3 which will examine the impact of the pandemic on healthcare systems in the 4 nations of the UK.

Inquest touching upon the death of Olivia Perks

Nikita was instructed by the Government Legal Department to represent the Ministry of Defence in an inquest touching upon the suicide of an Officer Cadet at Sandhurst which considered the systems and support in place for vulnerable officer cadets.

Inquest touching upon the death of Corrie McKeague

Nikita was instructed by the Government Legal Department on behalf of the Ministry of Defence in an inquest touching upon the death of an RAF Airman who went missing but whose body was never found.

R (Morahan) v HM Assistant Coroner for West London

Nikita successfully represented HMAC for West London before the High Court in relation to the, now leading, case considering the application of Article 2 for cases involving the treatment of mental health in the community.

Inquest into the death of Alexander Tostevin

Nikita was junior counsel for the Ministry of Defence in an inquest into the death of a member of special military unit, in which there were complex arguments about the anonymity of the unit and its members.

Jermaine Baker Public Inquiry

Nikita was instructed as first junior counsel to the Jermaine Baker Inquiry – an independent public inquiry into the shooting of Jermaine Baker during a Metropolitan Police Service operation.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Nikita is instructed to represent a core participant involved in the renovation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry following a fire which resulted in the death of 71 people.

Rushbrooke v HM Coroner for West London

Nikita acted on behalf of the Coroner in an application to the Divisional Court to quash the inquest into the death of Sylvia Rushbrooke who was, at the time of her death, subject to a DOLS order and resident in a care home. The application was based upon procedural irregularities in the first inquest as well as insufficiency of inquiry.

R.e. Peter John Fasoli

Nikita acted on behalf of the Senior Coroner for West London in an application to the Divisional Court to quash the inquest into the death of Peter Fasoli. Mr Fasoli’s death was originally found to be accidental, following a fire at his home. Video footage subsequently discovered showed that Mr Fasoli was murdered before the fire was intentionally set.

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

Nikita is currently instructed as junior counsel in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which was established to examine how the country’s institutions responded to their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse.

Cummings v HM Coroner for West London

Nikita acted for the Senior Coroner for West London in an application to quash the inquest into the death of an elderly lady who died when her home caught on fire, following receipt of a new investigation by the London Fire Brigade into the possible causes of that fire.

Hillsborough Stadium Disaster

Nikita was instructed by Sir John Goldring as junior counsel to the inquest into the death of 96 football fans at the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster. Nikita was particularly involved in the consideration of the extensive and complex pathological evidence.