Owain Thomas QC and Matthew Hill have successfully applied for a court order allowing the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to conduct analysis of blood samples taken from the victims of the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

Owain and Matthew were instructed by the Home Secretary and led by First Treasury Counsel, James Eadie QC. The Order was sought in the Court of Protection under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 as Sergei and Yulia Skripal lacked capacity to consent to the required interventions.

The Order was granted by Williams J on the basis that it was in the best interests of Mr Skripal and Ms Skripal for the samples to be taken and analysed to assist with the OPCW’s work. The Official Solicitor acted for Mr and Ms Skripal.

Read more about the case here or on the UK Human Rights Blog.