Caroline Cross

Caroline has a varied inquest practice and acts in inquests pertaining to medical and mental health matters, local authorities and military personnel. She represents both the bereaved and Interested Persons. In 2019, Caroline was appointed Assistant Coroner to Southwark.

She is Consultant Editor of Halsbury’s Laws for Coroners and Cremation & Burial. Caroline is also the co-editor of, and contributing author to, ‘The Inquest Book: The Law of Coroners and Inquests’ (Hart Publishing, 2016).

Caroline was also junior counsel for the Treasury Solicitors in the Public Inquiry into the death of Baha Mousa [2008 – 2010].

Selected Cases

• Inquest into the death of Louise Harvey: young mother who died of a pulmonary embolism 16 days after plastic surgery.
• Inquest into the death of an infant [2019]: Represented the family of child who died following inadequate management of chorioamnionitis.
• Inquest into the death of John Brackenbury [2017]: Represented the family of a grandfather who died at Addenbrookes Hospital following a failure to prioritise surgery for a stroke.
• Inquest into death of Heather Loveridge [2017]: Represented the family of a grandmother who set herself on fire at a mental health unit using a cigarette lighter following a failure in the Trust’s search policy.
• Inquest into the death of Amin Abdullah [2017]: Represented the partner of an award-winning nurse who suffered mental health issues as a result of a delayed disciplinary process and dismissal from his post with a Trust. He killed himself whilst an informal patient on a mental health unit.
• Inquest into the death of Marion Munns [2016]: Represented the family of a nurse who died whilst under the care of the community mental health services of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.
• Inquest into the death of Tyler Redhead [2013]: Inquest into the death of a 14 week old baby who died of head injuries and who had suffered other significant non-accidental injuries. Represented the council who were responsible for social care for the family and the deceased.
• Inquest into the death of Martin Dunleavy [2011]: Represented the family in this five day jury inquest. The Deceased, who had exhibited paranoid behaviour leading to his arrest, had been admitted to hospital and was found in a stairwell with fatal injuries. The verdict was accidental death.

Caroline practises in all areas of clinical negligence. Previous cases include failures to diagnose, the provision of incorrect or inappropriate treatment, and failures to obtain informed consent. She has been instructed by AVMA.

Caroline specialises in child abuse claims on behalf of claimants against local authorities, schools and individuals. She also appears before the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel. In addition, Caroline undertakes personal injury work.

Selected Cases

• (2018) High Court settlement thought to be the first for sexual assaults involving primary school pupils.
• Application no. 32666/10 X, Y & Z v the United Kingdom [2010]: Instructed in an application to the European Court of Human Rights as junior counsel on behalf of the applicants. It was contended that a local authority had breached the applicants’ rights under Articles 3, 6, 8 and 13 ECHR by failing to re-house a vulnerable couple in spite of a history of abuse and harassment by teenagers. The couple and their family were subsequently imprisoned in their home subjected to very serious assaults and abuse. The case was settled.