Band 5
Provided by Matthew Turner
Matthew is a personal injury and human rights barrister, specialising in tort and Human Rights Act claims arising out of death or serious injury. Matthew is widely recognised as a leading junior in wrongful death cases and has an exceptional record of exposing serious failures by state institutions and private corporations.
Matthew is passionate about representing bereaved families and seriously injured claimants. He is regularly instructed in complex and high-value claims involving catastrophic injures, and has extensive inquest and trial experience, far beyond his level of call. Matthew regularly appears in hearings lasting for multiple weeks and is a skilled and battle-hardened courtroom advocate.
Matthew graduated top of his year in law at the University of Nottingham. This included a year of postgraduate study at the University of Texas at Austin Law School. During this time, he represented death row inmates in federal appeals.
Before coming to the Bar, Matthew practised as a commercial solicitor. He trained at the ‘Magic Circle’ law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and then worked as an Associate Solicitor at Haynes and Boone LLP, a leading US law firm based in Texas.
He is Public Access qualified and regularly accepts instructions on this basis.
Matthew is the current Chair and former Executive Director (2018 – 2022) of the Labour Campaign for Human Rights.
Personal Injury Bar Association
Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
Action Against Medical Accidents
Bar Human Rights Committee
Society of Labour Lawyers
Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers
The Times, MPs must back the genocide amendment to oppose the oppression of the Uighurs, 02/02/21
Fair Observer, Another Journalist Disappears in Bangladesh, 29/04/20
Morning Star, Queues at foodbanks and hungry children: why we need a ‘Right to Food’, 09/19
The Independent, If Labour treated its antisemitism crisis like the human rights injustice it is, it could end the discrimination, 23/07/19
The Guardian, Britain’s long tradition of respect for human rights is under threat, 10/12/18
The Times, Britain has overlooked Saudi Arabia’s transgressions for too long, 01/11/18
Matthew specialises in inquests, clinical negligence, personal injury, actions against the police, and professional discipline. He is an expert in wrongful death cases.
Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury & Product Liability
Inquests and Public Inquiries
Actions Against the Police and Public Authorities
Professional Discipline and Regulation
International Law
Bar Transfer Test, BPP Law School (2018)
Legal Practice Course, BPP Law School (2015), Distinction
LLB, Law with American Law, University of Nottingham (2014), First Class with Distinction in American Law (top graduating student)
Maxwell Law Prize (2014) – top graduating law student
JD & Elizabeth Marsden Prize (2014) – outstanding academic and extracurricular achievement
Matthew is a leading inquest junior, with experience far beyond his level of call. He regularly represents families in significant and high-profile inquests, and has an exceptional record of uncovering serious failures by state institutions and private corporations. He has secured rare ‘neglect’ verdicts in 10 different inquests since December 2021 and his cases are regularly reported in the news.
Matthew is regularly instructed in inquests involving deaths in hospitals or deaths following negligent medical treatment. Matthew regularly represents the families of people who have died in police custody or following contact with the police. Matthew regularly represents the families of those who have died in prison, and has experience of deaths involving social care. He has extensive experience of fatal road traffic accidents and deaths on the railways.
Matthew is a leading clinical negligence junior, with an extensive clinical negligence practice, that includes claims involving negligent nursing care, ranging from the insertion / removal of catheters, to the management of pressure sores. He has been involved in many cases where nursing staff failed to act on deteriorating NEWS scores. Matthew has represented claimants in many cases involving negligent surgery, ranging from orthopaedic to neurological surgeries. Matthew has been instructed in many cases involving negligent emergency treatment or surgery. He has significant experience of claims related to community or inpatient mental health care and treatment. He specialises in deaths in mental health hospitals, either from suicide or the neglugent management of acute physical health conditions. Matthew has represented claimants in many claims against individual GPs and GP practices, often involving missed diagnoses and delayed referrals e.g., Matthew recently settled a claim involving a failure to chase a urology referral. Matthew has experience of cases involving eye hospitals and also has considerable experience of dental claims. Matthew has extensive experience of claims against prison healthcare providers for injuries and death resulting from inadequate medical treatment in prison.
Matthew is a specialist personal injury barrister, with extensive experience complex and catastrophic injuries, including cases involving spinal injuries, brain injuries, and quadriplegia / tetraplegia. He has extensive experience of industrial disease litigation, in particular noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), asbestos-related vibration white finger (VWF) and hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).
Matthew is regularly instructed in NIHL claims, and has developed a particular specialism in military NIHL (M-NIHL) claims against the Ministry of Defence. He is familiar with the specific issues involved in M-NIHL cases.
Matthew regularly acts for employees who have been injured in the workplace. Recent cases include accidents in warehouses / factories / construction sites, to animal attacks or assaults by patients. He is a specialist in employers’ liability claims in the healthcare industry, and regularly represents nurses in claims against their employers.
Matthew regularly acts in public liability and occupiers’ liability cases. Recent cases range from minor accidents at supermarkets to catastrophic injuries occurring at swimming pools and gyms. He has been involved in numerous cases involving children who have been injured at schools, colleges and on work-experience placements.
Matthew is regularly instructed in RTA cases, including fatal cases and those involving catastrophic injuries (e.g., traumatic brain injuries). Having previously trained and practised at a large defendant set, Matthew has vast experience in this area - including cases where fundamental dishonesty is alleged - and is able to offer useful tactical advice to claimants.
Matthew is experienced in managing cases where fundamental dishonesty is alleged.
Matthew has experience of product liability cases – including medical products – dating back to when he worked as a solicitor.
Matthew specialises in civil claims against the police and other public authorities, including prisons. He regularly represents claimants in claims for trespass to the person (assault / battery), false imprisonment, trespass to property, malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office. He specialises in tort claims and claims under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010. With vast experience in inquests work, Matthew is a specialist in claims following deaths in custody, including police stations, prisons or mental health hospitals. He especially sought after for cases involving complex or catastrophic injuries, and is an expert in claims following deaths in custody.
After most inquests, Matthew will go on to successfully represent the deceased’s family in wrongful death claims against the relevant institution(s) under the Fatal Accidents Act 1974, the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934, and the Human Rights Act 1998 (for breaches of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights).
Matthew regularly represents claimants in claims against the police following wrongful arrests. He is very familiar with the powers of officers to carry out stop and searches or arrests, and will carefully analyse the circumstances of a particular arrest to determine whether or not it was lawful. Matthew is especially sought after for cases where claimants have been injured during an arrest. Where claimants have been subsequently charged and prosecuted, Matthew has brought claims for malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office. Matthew is regularly instructed in cases where police officers have used excessive force against suspects or detainees, either in the course of an arrest or in police custody. He has been involved in multiple cases involving wrongful use of PAVA spray and tasers.
Matthew specialises in claims involving complex or catastrophic injuries. Due to his personal injury experience, he is able to provide invaluable expert advice on quantum. Matthew is regularly involved in claims involving complex orthopaedic, neurological and psychiatric injuries, in particular where the claimant had pre-existing medical conditions.
Matthew regularly drafts schedules of loss in excess of six figures, and includes claims for aggravated and exemplary damages, where appropriate.
Matthew regularly represents prisoners in claims against prisons which include prison deaths, inadequate medical treatment, assaults by other prisoners and by prison officers.
Matthew has experience of false imprisonment claims in the context of adult social care.
He has a professional discipline practice and both presents and defends cases before the major healthcare regulators, including the General Dental Council (GDC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), General Optical Council (GOC), General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). He is regularly instructed by the GDC and has appeared before the Professional Conduct Committee, Registration Appeals Committee, Specialist List Appeal Panel, and Interim Orders Committee. Matthew also represents registrants and has successfully defended nurses before the NMC Fitness to Practise Committee.
Matthew is developing an international law practice which includes sanctions (eg advising human rights activists on the UK’s Global Human Rights Sanction regime with a view to securing sanctions on various individuals) and business and human rights (eg advising the Labour Shadow Cabinet on issues, including deficiencies of s54 Modern Slavery Act 2015 and new mandatory human rights due diligence (mHRDD) obligation on UK-based companies.
Provided by Chambers
Matthew Turner has expertise in representing bereaved families at inquests, with a focus on deaths in medical and prison settings. He is notable for having secured findings of neglect in multiple inquests.
Provided by Chambers
He picks his battles and is mindful of the client's priorities, but there is a ferocity and resolve to his legal argument. This makes him incredibly persuasive and a force to be reckoned with.
Matthew is an excellent advocate for families at inquests. He is very sharp, with impressive advocacy skills, and gives clients clear and practical advice of what to expect.
He picks his battles and is mindful of the client's priorities, but there is a ferocity and resolve to his legal argument. This makes him incredibly persuasive and a force to be reckoned with.
Matthew is an excellent advocate for families at inquests. He is very sharp, with impressive advocacy skills, and gives clients clear and practical advice of what to expect.