Interested persons & legal representatives
A number or people are entitled to ask relevant questions of witnesses at an Inquest hearing, so long as they persuade the Coroner that they are one of the following:
- A parent, spouse, child, partner and representing the estate of the deceased.
- Anyone who gains from a life insurance policy on the deceased
- Any insurer having issued such a policy
- Anyone whose actions the Coroner believes may have caused or contributed to the death accidentally or otherwise.
- The chief police officer of police (who may ask witnesses questions through a lawyer)
- Any person appointed by a government department to attend the Inquest.
In addition, any other person may seek to persuade the Coroner they have a proper interest in the Inquest proceedings and, if the Coroner agrees, they too may question the witnesses. Anyone the Coroner designates as entitled to question witnesses is called an interested person.
The Coroner will hear submissions from those who wish to be registered as an interested person at the pre-Inquest review hearings. If you consider yourself to have a proper interest in the Inquest proceedings and wish to explore whether you can be designated an interested person, and have not done so already please email Anne Steer to register your interest.
The Inquest Team
Legal Team
Mr James Dingemans QC, Mr Jonathan Hough (counsel to the Inquest), instructed by Anne Steer (Solicitor to the Inquest)
Secretariat
Claire Brooks, Administrator to the Inquest and jointly responsible for all administrative and logistical arrangements. She has been assisted by Helen Leary and Mandy Peckover.
Legal Representatives for the Interested Persons
Kennedys on behalf of Network Rail
Prashant Popat QC
Kathleen Donnelly
Christian Khan on behalf of the Bereaved Families
John Hendy QC
Brian Cummins
Office of Rail Regulation
Nicholas Hilliard QC
Thompsons on behalf of National Union of Rail and Maritime & Transport workers
Jonathan Clarke
Passenger Focus and London TravelWatch
John Cartledge
West Anglia and Great Northern
Ann Metherall
Jarvis Rail
“In Administration”