Kirsten Heaven

Inquests and Public Inquiries

Actions Against the Police and Public Authorities

Administrative & Public Law

Kirsten practises in human rights, public law and civil claims against public authorities. She is a specialist in complex inquests, public inquiries and public law challenges across her practice areas, including in police law. Kirsten has acted in some of the most challenging and complex inquests in recent times including in the Hillsborough Inquest for 77 bereaved families, the Shoreham Airshow Disaster Inquest, the Covid-19 Inquiry for the Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru and the Brooke House Inquiry. Kirsten is currently lead counsel for the Co-operating Group of Non-police Non-state Core Participants in the Undercover Policing Public Inquiry.

Kirsten is a Special Advocate appointed by the Attorney General and acts in cases raising sensitive issues of national security.

Kirsten is a Fee Paid Judge of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal and Assistant Coroner for Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot.

Kirsten trained as a solicitor at Slaughter and May, London, specialising in corporate / commercial and EU law and subsequently worked as a government lawyer. Kirsten has worked extensively in international human rights law, refugee law and minority rights in the Middle East and the Balkans including in NGOs and at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Kirsten has an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex.

INQUEST Lawyers Group

Police Action Lawyers Group

Liberty

‘Neglect and multiple failures contributed to death of a 19-year-old in HMYOI Aylesbury’, Inquest Law, September 2013

‘HMP Leeds bullying related self-inflicted death could have been prevented’, Inquest Law, September 2013

‘Heathrow death preventable?’, Institute of Race Relations News, 28 April 2011

‘Darfuri asylum seeker failed by the system’, Institute of Race Relations, June 2010

‘Inadequate inquiry into natural causes death in Oakington immigration detention centre’, Inquest Law, October 2010

‘Death of patient detained under mental health act from postural asphyxia, airway obstruction and acute alcohol intoxication contributed to by neglect’, Inquest Law, October 2010

‘Jury highlight failings by East Midlands ambulance service and Derbyshire constabulary that contributed to the death of a vulnerable male in their custody’, Inquest Law, October 2010

‘Suicide of recalled prisoner in HMP Leeds’, Inquest Law, June 2010

‘Suicide of care leaver’, Inquest Law, June 2010

‘”Excited delirium” related death in police custody: failures by MET Police and a FME’, Inquest Law, June 2010

‘Part 6 of the Counter-terrorism Bill: Inquests’, Leslie Thomas, Adam Straw, Kirsten Heaven, Legal Action Group Magazine, May 2008

‘PPO fails to adequately investigate natural causes death’, Inquest Law, June 2008

‘Restraint death in mental health hospital’, Kirsten Heaven and Leslie Thomas, Inquest Law, November 2008

‘Suicide at HMP Foston Hall: contributed to by neglect’, Inquest Law, December 2009

In her spare time Kirsten combines sheep farming and bee keeping with channel swimming.

MA (Oxon)

LLM International Human Rights Law (University of Essex)