Stephen has over 15 years’ experience as a litigator. Over the last 10 years his work has been divided between regulatory law, mainly health and safety prosecutions, public law matters, principally in the areas of secondary and tertiary educational and mental health and his special interest in disputes involving issues of foreign law or clients from foreign jurisdictions, particularly from German speaking countries.
Stephen's regulatory work has covered the full range of prosecution services from sentencing hearings in the Magistrates' Courts to Crown Court trials. His experience has included prosecutions arising out of fatal accidents on ships and construction sites and diving accidents. He has also been instructed in prosecutions relating to disturbance of asbestos and damage to historic monuments and archaeological areas.
Stephen's public law practice covers the whole spectrum of public decision making from the proper and fair application of rules relating to disciplinary matters and appeals, to issues of transparency and consistency in pilot projects. He has acted for schools and universities whose decisions have been challenged by way of Judicial Review and under Human Rights and Equality legislation.
Over the last five years Stephen developed a specialist expertise in Mental Health Law, acting for a local NHS Mental Health Trust.
Stephen sits as an Assistant Coroner in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and Plymouth, Torbay and South Devon
Experience
Examples of experience include:
- Prosecuting a shipping company following a fatal fall from height on board ship
- Several prosecutions following fatal diving accidents including representation at inquest
- Advising a German importer of machinery on an investigation by the HSE
- Acting for a power generating company prosecuted in Scotland following a fatality at a wind farm
- Drafting a multiple claims handling process for an oil and gas producer in the event of a large incident
- Appearing frequently at inquest for a mental health trust
- Prosecuting a landowner who damaged part of a prehistoric circle monument
- Acting for a mental health trust in Judicial Review proceedings which challenged the trust's decision to withdraw post discharge after care
- Acting for a secondary school in Judicial Review proceedings which challenged the school's uniform policy
- Acting for an Oxford College following a challenge by a prospective student to its financial guarantee policy.
