Fiona Wise

Inquests & Public Inquiries

Fiona is head of the Inquest Team. She is experienced in appearing before the Coroner’s Court, Crown Court, Magistrates Court, County Court, and the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service. She enjoys utilising the skills and
experience she developed undertaking numerous jury trials as a criminal practitioner when representing interested persons in the Coroner’s Court. Fiona is acutely aware that the media attention some inquests attract risk damage to a corporation’s reputation and ensures early advice is provided as to how best to manage the inquest process to mitigate any potential negative publicity.

Fiona’s inquest practice neatly dovetails with her personal injury work and advising on related medical negligence claims. She is experienced in advising parties at the pre-issue stage in personal injury cases and representing them throughout the inquest process. She is also experienced in cases where the potential defence of ex turpi causa may feature.

Notable cases include:

– Inquest touching on the death of PW (2024) – representing the family who had endured a five year wait for the inquest to be heard. Included lengthy questioning of PW’s carer and submissions of gross negligence manslaughter. The coroner returned a narrative conclusion including that the death had been contributed to by neglect.

– Inquest touching on the death of JM (2024) – representing a local authority trading company who owned and staffed the accommodation premises where JM was a resident and where he was found deceased. Heard before a jury, a short narrative conclusion was the outcome with no criticism made of the company. Further, at the conclusion of the inquest the family of JM (who had initially levelled criticism at the staff) thanked them for their care and efforts.

– Inquest touching on the death of BC (2024) – representing a care home where the family alleged neglect, and safeguarding referrals had been made. The conclusion was one of natural causes and the coroner made no criticism of the care home.

– Inquest touching upon the death of MW (2003) – representing a Housing Association after a resident committed suicide at their home address with a background of an ongoing neighbour dispute regarding noise. No criticism was made of the Housing Association, with the coroner recognising they had utilised all the powers at their disposal to address the alleged issue.

– Inquest touching on the death of VW (2023) – representing the Chief Constable of a police force after the deceased had been located as a high risk missing person but subsequently charged with various offences. Once released on police bail he committed suicide. A prevention of future death report was made to the NHS Trust responsible for the Liaison and Diversion Service but not against the Chief Constable.

– Inquest touching on the death of TN (2023) – representing a care home where expert evidence was heard that fractures suffered by the deceased were the result of trauma. The coroner indicated she would require submissions in regard to neglect. The narrative conclusion made no criticism of the care home.

– Inquest touching on the death of LG (2023) – Article 2 jury inquest representing the insurer of a vehicle stolen and subsequently involved in a death following a police pursuit.

– Inquest touching on the death of SH (2002) – representing the Local Authority in a death whilst under a community mental health team. The involvement of Article 2 remained under review throughout the inquest but ultimately was held not to be engaged. The conclusion was one of suicide with no criticism made of the Local Authority.

– Inquest touching on the death of JG (2022) – representing the family at inquest into death after hospital treatment in a case involving conflicting expert evidence on the issue of causation. The conclusion was one of death by natural causes contributed to by neglect. Thereafter instructed in the clinical negligence case which was ultimately settled for a six figure sum.

– Inquest touching on the death of AA (2021) – representing the Local Authority’s Adult Care Service. The conclusion was one of accidental death with no criticism made of the Local Authority.

– Inquest touching on the death of JS (2020) – Article 2 jury inquest representing the insurer and car hire firm involving a death following a police pursuit.

– Inquest touching on the death of SY (2020) – representing the family at inquest into death following hospital treatment resulting in the Coroner issuing a PFD report to the treating hospital.

– Inquest touching on the death of PD (2019) – representing a Resident Medical Officer and the medical staffing agency at inquest into death following hospital treatment. The family sought a finding of neglect, however the complex issue of causation was fully explored and on that basis the Coroner rejected that submission in his narrative conclusion.

– Inquest touching on the death of GL (2018) – representing a Resident Medical Officer and the medical staffing agency at inquest into death following hospital treatment. Evidence of an independent expert resulted in a conclusion emphasising that there were no failures by those treating the deceased that contributed to his death and it was sadly the result of abuse of alcohol.

Personal Injury

Fiona has a busy multi-track personal injury practice, acting for both claimants and defendants.

Notable recent cases include:

• G v NHS Foundation Trust (ongoing) – acting for C who brings a claim, currently pleaded in excess of £300,000, as a
  dependent pursuant to the Fatal Accidents Act.
• J v E (2023) – settled the pleadings and represented C throughout in a case involving Functional Neurological Disorder.
  Settled at JSM.
• – T v D (2022) – acting for C, settled the pleadings and advised pre-issue in a case which involved a serious spinal injury. Facilitated the case settling at an early stage.
• H v M (2022) – Fiona advised in conference and settled the pleadings for C in a case involving a serious spinal injury and chronic pain.

She regularly defends road traffic claims on the grounds of fundamental dishonesty and is repeatedly instructed by Defendants in cases involving credit hire. She prepares written advices on quantum and liability, covering areas including employers liability, public liability and road traffic accidents.

She is experienced in advising, and representing throughout the inquest process, parties at the pre-issue stage in personal injury cases. She is increasingly instructed to advise pre-issue in personal injury cases where criminal proceedings are ongoing.

Alongside Matthew Snarr she presented in September 2022 a webinar “Criminal convictions in personal injury cases: Rules and ramifications.”

Fiona is always available to advise in conference including testing witnesses in cases concerning witness credibility and suspected fraud cases. She regularly defends road traffic claims on the grounds of fundamental dishonesty (the full gambit of RTA fraud cases from staged accidents, to phantom passengers to LVI arguments) and is repeatedly instructed by Defendants in cases involving credit hire.

Regulatory and Professional Discipline

Sports Regulatory

Fiona has been instructed to represent the British Horseracing Authority in race day appeals conducted before the independent Judicial Panel. She thoroughly enjoys this work and hopes to gain further experience in the sports
regulatory field.

Regulatory

Fiona is on the panel of counsel instructed to represent the General Medical Council in regulatory proceedings against doctors before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service. She receives instructions to represent the General Medical Council at fitness to practise hearings, review and non-compliance hearings, and also has experience of revalidation appeals.

Fiona has acquired significant experience advising upon and conducting applications, variations, appeals and breach proceedings in respect of gang injunctions, firearms licences, housing injunctions, anti-social behaviour orders and injunctions, football banning orders, and domestic violence prevention orders.

She represented the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police in a successful application, after a four day trial, for a gang injunction in relation to two members affiliated to the notorious Gooch Gang. Fiona has appeared for police services in appeals against the revocation or refusal of firearms and shotgun certificates. Fiona also has experience of proceedings brought under the Licensing Act 2003.

Publications

“Inquests – preparation and tactics” 2024.

“Criminal convictions in personal injury cases: rules and ramifications.” Link (passcode: S8qSL2?N)

“Learning to live with imperfection of pragmatism: accommodation claims post Swift v Carpenter in 2023” (in conjunction with Matthew Snarr).

Associations

Personal Injuries Bar Association

Criminal Bar Association

Education

GDL, BPP Law School London

MA, Trinity College Dublin

BVC, BPP Law School London

Awards

Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn

Wolfson Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn

Entrance Exhibitioner, Trinity College Dublin

Prescribed Information

Miss Fiona Wise is a practising barrister, who is regulated by the Bar Standards Board. Details of information held by the BSB about Miss Wise can be found here.

Miss Wise’s clerks will happily provide no obligation quotations for all legal services that she provides. Their contact details can be found here. It is most common for Miss Wise to undertake court work for a brief fee plus refresher days.  For advisory work, drafting and conferences it is most common for this to be charged at an hourly rate although fixed fees are available. Miss Wise will consider Conditional Fee Agreements and Damages Based Agreements in cases with favourable prospects of success. Miss Wise will typically return paperwork within 14 days, however professional commitments, complexity and volume of documentation can affect these approximate timescales.