Amelia Williams

Amelia regularly provides advice in writing and in conference, settles pleadings and attends hearings for clinical negligence matters. She represents both Claimants and Defendants. Amelia has dealt with a broad range of cases including birth injuries, delayed diagnosis, surgical errors, infection control, fertility treatment and mental health care.

Amelia has significant experience in cases involving fundamental dishonesty, having frequently appeared for Defendants, and cross-examined Claimants, in trials where fundamental dishonesty was in issue in her first few years of practice. She is therefore well-placed to both advise and represent parties at trial where allegations of fundamental dishonesty are raised.

Amelia is regularly instructed in the Coroner’s Court to represent families and other interested persons in inquests involving a whole range of issues including persons in custody, police-related inquests, deaths in hospital and medical or psychiatric treatment.

She is recommended as a leading junior in this area by the Legal 500 and is described as “an excellent advocate, controlled, in command and persuasive.”

Selected Cases

• Acting for the family of Tom Sweeting, who took his own life days after being seen by a specialist NHS psychiatry service, following a rapid deterioration in his mental health. Senior Coroner Lydia Brown issued a detailed Prevention of Future Deaths Report.
• Acting for the family of a mother who died from complications arising from an infection following an elective incisional hernia repair. It was found that delayed transfer between two hospital sites contributed to her death.
• Acting for the MoD police in the preliminary hearings and witness preparation in a police shooting inquest before a period of maternity leave. Emma-Louise Fenelon represented the MoD Police in the final hearing.

Amelia has particular expertise in immigration law. Her immigration experience is very broad, and in recent years she has been instructed in a range of matters including challenges to deprivation decisions, asylum accommodation, deportation, unlawful detention and visitor visas.

Amelia is ranked as a leading junior in immigration. She has appeared in a number of immigration matters as sole counsel but also as junior counsel to multiple silks in a number of high profile matters.

Selected Cases

• Instructed by GLD as junior counsel for SSHD in a systemic challenge to asylum accommodation policy as it relates to pregnant and new mother asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers
• Instructed by SSHD as junior counsel in the pre-litigation challenges to the use of the Bibby Stockholm Barge for asylum accommodation
• Instructed by GLD as junior counsel for SSHD in SIAC proceedings.
• Instructed by the SSHD as junior counsel to Cathy McGahey KC in appeals against deprivation of citizenship and deportation decisions made in respect of individuals convicted of child sexual exploitation offences in Rochdale. These cases involved the use of the “conducive” deprivation power for cases involving serious organised crime
• Instructed as junior counsel by the SSHD in interim relief and judicial review proceedings concerning the application of the ARAP scheme in light of the collapse of the Afghan government to the Taliban and family members of the Claimant who remained in Afghanistan.
• Instructed as junior counsel by the SSHD in a case concerning whether failed asylum seekers should be entitled to the provision of support and accommodation pursuant to section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, in light of the national restrictions imposed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Amelia regularly accepts instructions in public law and maintains a keen interest in the area. She has recently completed a part-time Executive Master in International Humanitarian Law in Armed Conflict at the Geneva Academy.

Amelia is regularly instructed in a range of national security cases. She has experience in advising on the regulation of interception of communications and intelligence service oversight.

She is currently instructed as junior counsel to Eleanor Grey KC and Colin Thomann KC to represent the SSHD in a judicial review which seeks an Article 3 ECHR compliant inquiry into events at Manston Short-Term Holding Facility in 2022.

Further, she is experienced in advising public bodies given her previous employment within GLD and her current role as junior counsel to the London Fire Commissioner in the civil claims from the Grenfell Tower fire.

Amelia is regularly instructed in all areas of personal injury work. She has experience of serious personal injury litigation and is adept at drafting complex schedules of loss. She has a broad personal injury practice covering employer’s liability, occupier’s liability, product liability and road traffic accidents. She has particular experience of representing both Claimants and Defendants in trials where causation is in issue and where there are allegations of fundamental dishonesty.

Amelia is ranked as a leading junior in the field of personal injury and is praised for being “clear and pragmatic in her advice”. She “manages expectations sensitively. Her advocacy is thorough and she is always exceptionally well prepared.”

She is currently junior counsel for the London Fire Commissioner in Abdel-Kader & Ors v Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea & Ors (all the civil claims arising from the Grenfell Tower fire), as part of a team led by William Norris KC.

Amelia is currently junior counsel for the Department for Health and Social Care in the Covid-19 Inquiry. She has previously been instructed by the London Fire Brigade as a junior member of the team for the Grenfell Inquiry and by the Home Office in the Brook House Inquiry.

Amelia is currently instructed as junior counsel to Eleanor Grey KC and Colin Thomann KC to represent the SSHD in a judicial review which seeks an Article 3 ECHR compliant inquiry into events at Manston Short-Term Holding Facility in 2022.

Amelia completed a secondment with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in 2022 and continues to regularly receive instructions in regulatory & disciplinary matters. She has experience representing regulatory bodies in a broad range of hearings, from interim order review hearings to substantive hearings. Amelia has previously been instructed to represent both registrants and regulatory bodies at multi-day substantive hearings.

Amelia is happy to accept instructions under the Direct Access Scheme.