Professional Discipline
Chambers has a strong and established team of Queen’s Counsel and junior barristers with a wealth of experience and expertise in the field of professional discipline.
The professional discipline team as a whole, and a number of specific members, are ranked by Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500. The team has established Lincoln House Chambers as a leading set that excels in advising and representing professionals facing disciplinary investigations.
The team attracts frequent instructions in the field of professional disciplinary litigation from a range of sources, including defence solicitors and individual professionals (under the Public Access Rules), as well as professional protection organisations and regulatory bodies seeking advocates to present cases on their behalf.
A number of members of the team also specialise in the field of criminal law and have experience conducting inquests / inquiries / judicial review claims, allowing us to provide comprehensive expert advice and advocacy for professionals facing criminal proceedings or involvement in an inquest, inquiry or public law proceedings.
We have substantial experience across a wide range of professional regulatory jurisdictions.
Healthcare & social care regulation:
Members of the team are instructed by defence solicitors, insurers and individual professionals to act in all first-instance healthcare and social care tribunals and to appear in appeals in the High Court and Court of Appeal.
We are instructed in fitness to practise and interim order hearings, as well as statutory reviews and registrations appeals.
We regularly advise at an early stage of an investigation, in responding before a formal referral to the Tribunal, in an attempt to stop proceedings promptly. We also frequently act in proceedings involving the Care Quality Commission.
Police Discipline:
Members of the team have vast experience acting on behalf of police officers facing investigation by professional standards departments in their local constabulary or the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Members are instructed by Solicitors acting on behalf of representative bodies such as the Police Federation and the Police Superintendents’ Association.
We are often instructed at an early stage of proceedings to advise on strategy and the preparation of a formal response to allegations. We have experience conducting first-instance misconduct proceedings under the Police Conduct Regulations; responding to appeals before the Police Appeals Tribunal; and conducting judicial review proceedings arising in this area.
Instructions are also accepted from the Independent Office for Police Conduct and from Police Authorities seeking advice or representation in this field.
Legal professionals:
A number of members of the team have experience representing solicitors and firms facing intervention by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority or proceedings before the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal.
We also have experience representing barristers facing allegations of misconduct before a Disciplinary Tribunal convened by the Bar Tribunals & Adjudication Service.
Courts-Martial:
Sporting regulation:
Our members have experience advising sports professionals across a range of disciplines, including professional footballers, cricketers and rugby players, faced with both disciplinary and criminal investigations. Chris Daw QC represented John Terry in his criminal trial and before the FA Regulatory Commission. A number of members have experience sitting on sporting disciplinary bodies.