Fiona Barton KC

Practice Areas

Fiona is recognised as a leading silk specialising in all aspects of public law and police law (including inquests and inquiries and professional discipline). She has been instructed in the most high-profile police law cases of recent years, regularly appearing in the most complex, sensitive, ground-breaking and high value cases. She has extensive experience in public law claims of significant public importance, including at Supreme Court level.

She was appointed King’s Counsel in 2011.

High-profile instructions include:

Inquests and Inquiries - the Forbury Gardens Inquests, the Plymouth Shootings Inquests, the Guildford Pub Bombings Inquests, Manchester Arena Inquiry, the London Bridge Inquest, the Fishmongers’ Hall Inquests.

Professional Discipline – proceedings against chief officers eg. ACC Beale and ACC Sutcliffe and proceedings against officers arising from deaths in custody including Kingsley Burrell and Leon Briggs.

Public Law - the judicial review concerning automatic facial recognition R (Bridges) v The Chief Constable of South Wales & others, Madeleine McCann, Nunn and L.

Fiona was called to the Bar in 1986 and became a member of 5 Essex Chambers following completion of her pupillage. She took Silk in 2011. She has over 30 years experience in her chosen areas of practice.

Fiona contributed to the leading text book on police civil actions “Civil Actions against the Police” and regularly contributes to chambers’ publications.

Please visit the 5 Essex Chambers website for Fiona’s profile, which sets out full details of her practice including relevant work of note.