Matthew Hill

Inquests

Matthew has been ranked as a Band 1 Junior in Chambers & Partners since 2013. He has acted as First Junior Counsel in the Hillsborough Inquests and in the renewed inquests into the Birmingham Pub Bombings.  He is counsel to one of the interested parties in the Westminster Bridge Inquests.

He represents families, practitioners and institutions at inquests. He has developed considerable experience in mental health cases, prison deaths, and cases involving multiple deaths and complex medical issues. He has appeared regularly before juries and has acted in litigation concerning the engagement of article 2 ECHR.

Matthew is the co-author, with Sir Neil Garnham, of a chapter on anonymity, PII and protective measures in the Inquests Book: the Law of Coroners and Inquests (Hart Publishing, 2016).

He is ranked as a Star Individual by Chambers & Partners and a Tier 1 junior by Legal 500.

Selected Cases

• Inquest into the death of Marta Elena Vento (ongoing) – Matthew is instructed to represent the family of Ms Vento, who was killed while at work by a recently released prisoner.
• Inquests into the deaths of Michael Lewis and Gareth Delbridge (ongoing) – Matthew is instructed by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch in the inquests into the deaths of two track workers, who were struck by a train while working on the line at Margam East Junction in July 2019.
• Reading Terror Attack Inquests (2024) – Matthew was instructed to represent the families of the victims of the 2020 terror attacks in Forbury Gardens, Reading in this judge-led inquest before Sir Adrian Fulford PC.
• Inquest into the death of Egle Vengaliene (2023) – Matthew was instructed as Counsel to the Inquiry in the inquest, which was resumed following an acquittal in a criminal trial for murder.
• Inquest into the death of AG (2020):Matthew represented the family in an inquest into the death of a man following a stroke.
• Inquest into the death of SG (2020): Matthew appeared for the Ambulance Service at inquest into the death of man shot with crossbow by a neighbour.
• The Birmingham Inquests (1974) (2016 – 2019): Matthew was First Junior Counsel to the renewed inquests into the Birmingham pub bombings in 1974, in which 21 people were killed.
• The Westminster Bridge Inquests (2018): Matthew represented the London Ambulance Service in the inquests into the deaths resulting from the terrorist attack on Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament in March 2017.
• The Hillsborough Inquests (2013-2016): Matthew acted as First Junior Counsel to the recent inquests into the deaths of 96 people in the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster.