Nikita McNeill

Inquests & Public Inquiries

Nikita is a ranked as a leading individual in the Inquests and Public Inquiries section in Chambers UK 2019.

She is a sought after junior for complex and high profile inquests and public inquiries, and has been instructed on behalf of a wide range of interested persons and core participants, in particular Nikita is very experienced at representing medical practitioners and those involved in Article 2 inquests involving Health and Safety at Work Act

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.

She is currently instructed as junior counsel in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. She has appeared in the public hearings into the response of the Anglican Church to cases of child sexual abuse and is involved in the investigation into child sexual exploitation by organised networks.

Nikita was also junior counsel to the inquest in the renewed inquests into the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster, which is the longest running jury case in UK legal history.

As a result, Nikita is confident in dealing with the many challenges posed by lengthy and document heavy cases.

Cases

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.

Inquest into the death of NA

Nikita appeared in an inquest into the suspected suicide of a Bristol University Student. 12 students at the University had or were suspected of having taken their own lives in an 18 month period. Nikita represented a GP in the student health services in a complex inquest which looked at the particular challenges faces in the treatment of young students suffering from mental health difficulties.

Inquest into the death of AR

Nikita represented the GP surgery in a week long inquest into the death of a patient with significant and complex mental health problems who took his own life after he was discharged from community mental health services into the care of his GPs.

Inquest into the death of AG

Nikita was instructed in an Article 2 Inquest following the drowning of a swimmer at a health centre. The deceased was seen on CCTV struggling for some time, before being at the bottom of the pool for 6 minutes before being retrieved by staff even though there was a lifeguard on duty at that time.

Inquest into the death of KG

Nikita is instructed by a travel company in an inquest into the death of a UK traveller in one of their European hotels.

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.