Nicholas Jones

Nicholas has quickly acquired extensive experience advising on and appearing in inquests, acting as sole counsel on behalf of families, healthcare organisations/companies, NHS Trusts, GPs, and state bodies. These have included several multi-week inquests involving numerous IPs, those heard before a jury, and those engaging Article 2 ECHR. He regularly advises ahead of and appears at PIRHs.

The inquests in which Nicholas has acted have covered subject matter ranging from suicide and substance misuse in prison and police contexts, to accidents at work, death following falls in hospital, and delays in the delivery of medical treatment.

Selected Cases

• Inquest into the death of PB (2025): Represented a healthcare organisation in a 3-week Article 2 jury inquest. Nicholas' client provided nursing care within a police custody setting, and part of the focus of the inquest was the quality of care provided by a nurse formerly employed by them, shortly prior to the Deceased's release and subsequent death by suicide. The inquest heard extensive evidence from over 25 witnesses.
• Inquest into the death of MH (2025): Acted for the family of a man with severe learning difficulties who died after suffering an aortic dissection, following a decision not to convey him to hospital by paramedics. This case involved several PIRHs, with a final hearing heard over three days.
• Inquest into the death of FE (2025): Acted under legal aid for the family of a woman who died by choking whilst detained under the MHA. This inquest was heard in Winchester before a jury over 5 days (following 3 PIRHs). The jury returned a conclusion of misadventure.
• Inquest into the death of GF (2025): Acted for a GP in his own right following the death of a man from neutrophilic sepsis.
• Inquest into the death of KH (2024): Represented an NHS trust in a week-long Article 2 inquest into the death of a woman who died shortly after release from prison. There were six IPs involved.
• Inquest into the death of RN (2024): Acted pro bono for the family of a woman who died following a c. 1-hour delay in the arrival of an ambulance.
• Inquest into the death of JP (2024): Acted for a GP practice in a 2-day inquest into the death of another GP from suicide.
• Inquest into the death of RF (2024): Represented a healthcare organisation in a two-week, Article 2, jury inquest following the death of an inmate at HMP Chelmsford.
• Inquest into the death of MB (2024): Acted pro bono for the family of a man who died following a c. 4-hour delay in the arrival of an ambulance.
• Inquest into the death of SA (2023): Represented an NHS trust in a two-day jury inquest into the death of a woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a fall at work.

Nicholas has a busy advisory practice in respect of both liability and quantum, and acts for both claimants and defendants. He has particular experience acting for individuals affected by medical negligence, and private healthcare individuals/organisation defending themselves against such claims. Recent experience has included:

• Orthopaedic injuries
• Dental claims (for both claimants and private defendants)
• Delayed hospital treatment

Nicholas is regularly instructed to assist parties both on paper and in conference, and regularly appears in interlocutory hearings in the High Court and County Court, including CCMCs, applications, and strike-out hearings.

Between April and September 2024, Nicholas was seconded part-time to a leading national claimant-focussed clinical negligence firm, where he acquired particular experience in advising on and progressing medical negligence claims from the early stages onwards.

Nicholas has a strong interest in public law and human rights, and worked on a range of high-profile matters during pupillage.

He was recently instructed by an NGO to draft submissions in proceedings before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Nicholas is particularly keen to grow his tax and ratings practices. He enjoyed undertaking a complex piece of advisory work concerning ratings law during his pupillage and is keen to build his practice in that area.

In tax, Nicholas is especially interesting in developing his practice in areas where tax intersects with public law and judicial review. His recent experience in this field includes being instructed by HMRC as part of a team working on a high-profile ongoing judicial review matter concerning VAT.

Nicholas has also written about tax in the latest edition of 1COR’s Tax Newsletter, where he explored the Court of Appeal’s decision in Hotel La Tour v HMRC [2024] EWCA Civ 564.

Nicholas has a particular interest in environmental law, having worked on a number of cases during pupillage under the supervision of Jess Elliott. Within this area, Nicholas has a keen interest in cases involving nuisance of all forms – from water and smoke, to odour and noise.

Further to his experience as a paralegal in a large City law firm, through which he was involved in planning and environmental matters, Nicholas is also interested in the built environment and is looking to grow his practice in these areas.

Nicholas has extensive experience of personal injury disputes, and regularly appears in a diverse range of trials and hearings.

He has particular knowledge of employer’s liability claims, having advised and acted for both claimants and defendants at all stages of such cases up to and including trial. This has included advising on quantum, offers, tactics, and settlement, and appearing in trials on both the fast track and multi track.

In October 2024, Nicholas successfully represented as sole counsel a defendant NHS Trust in a 3-day multi-track trial (RO v Camden and Islington NHS Trust), in an employer’s liability/personal injury case pleaded at over £175,000, in which both liability and quantum were in dispute. There was a fundamental factual dispute at the heart of the case, requiring extensive cross-examination of the claimant. Judgment was delivered in November 2024 and the defendant successfully defeated the claim, with the judge accepting the defendant’s case on the facts, on breach of duty, and on causation.

Listen to Nick and Jo Moore discussing how the law of personal injury applies to football in episode 197 of our podcast Law Pod UK.

Nicholas has been instructed in major public inquiries over recent years both for Core Participants and the Inquiry team, including:

• The Nottingham Inquiry (ongoing): Currently instructed as part of the Counsel to the Inquiry Team (led by Rachel Langdale KC). This Inquiry, chaired by Her Honour Deborah Taylor, will be looking into the events, acts and omissions that led up to Valdo Calocane killing three people and seriously injuring three others in Nottingham city centre in June 2023.
• The Thirlwall Inquiry (2024-2025): Instructed as part of a team undertaking document review on behalf of the Thirlwall Inquiry.
• The Covid-19 Inquiry (2023-2024): Instructed in the Covid-19 Inquiry by an ambulance service, in a 1COR team led by Richard Booth KC and alongside Shahram Sharghy, Darragh Coffey and Lance Baynham.

Nicholas has a busy data protection practice, and is regularly instructed to advise and draft in respect of claims arising out of the GDPR and misuse of private information.

Nick accepts direct access instruction from lay clients.