Nikita McNeill

Inquests

Nikita is an experienced inquest advocate and represents a full range of clients, including coroners, families, doctors, hospital trusts, police forces, and government departments. She also appears in judicial reviews arising from inquests on behalf of both Coroners and Interested Persons.

She has been consistently ranked as a leading individual in the Inquests and Public Inquiries sections of both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 since 2018.

Recent editorial includes:

“Nikita is phenomenal. She is a complete powerhouse in terms of work.” Chambers & Partners 2025

“Nikita is really diligent and sharp” Chambers & Partners 2025

“Nikita is a joy to work with: first-rate expertise in this area, responses are quick and succinct, with advice which cuts to the core of the issues.” Chambers & Partners 2024

“She is on the ball and up to speed: she provides excellent work.” Chambers & Partners 2024

“Nikita has a formidable intellect. She demonstrates a forensic command of the issues and has a real gift for making the most complex points accessible.” Legal 500 2024

“Nikita is a phenomenal barrister who is the most organised person I have ever met. She is so efficient and has a really good strategic instinct.” Chambers & Partners 2023

“Nikita’s strengths are her soaring intellect, her capacity to turn papers around at such a fast pace, and her attention to client care – a winning combination!” Legal 500 2023

“She is an exceptionally good advocate. She has encyclopaedic knowledge of inquests and inquiries, with really good judgement.” Chambers & Partners 2022

“Nikita is a go-to junior – anyone involved in a public inquiry or large inquest would do well to have her on their side.”  Legal 500 2022

“Nikita is a really good advocate, who also offers exceptional client care and excellent judgement.” Chambers & Partners 2021

Selected Cases

• Inquests into the deaths of patients of Ian Paterson: Nikita represents the former medical director of Spire private hospitals in which Ian Paterson practised. Mr Paterson was convicted of 17 counts of wounding with intent and 3 counts of unlawful wounding. He was sentenced in 2017 to a 20 year custodial sentence.
• Inquest touching upon the death of Jack Burnell-Williams: Nikita, leading Laura Stephenson of 2 Hare Court, represented the Minisry of Defence in an inquest into the death of a member of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment who took his own life days after he had taken part in the late Queen’s state funeral.
• Inquest touching upon the death of Jaysley-Louise Beck: Nikita, leading Helena Drage of Gatehouse Chambers, appeared in Salisbury Coroner’s Court to represent the Ministry of Defence in the inquest into the death of Gunner Beck who took her own life at Larkhill Garrison in 2021. The inquest probed important evidence about the experiences of women in the Army and the Army’s ability to respond to unacceptable sexual behaviours.
• Inquest touching upon the death of Andrew Clarke: Nikita was instructed by a private mental health facility in an Article 2 jury inquest following the death of a detained patient from diabetic ketoacidosis as a result of failings identified in the facility’s management of his diabetes.
• Inquest touching upon the death of Olivia Perks: Nikita was instructed by the Government Legal Department to represent the Ministry of Defence in an inquest touching upon the suicide of an Officer Cadet at Sandhurst which considered the systems and support in place for vulnerable officer cadets.
• Inquest touching upon the death of Corrie McKeague: Nikita was instructed by the Government Legal Department on behalf of the Ministry of Defence in an inquest touching upon the death of an RAF Airman who went missing but whose body was never found.
• R (Morahan) v HM Assistant Coroner for West London: Nikita successfully represented HMAC for West London in a permission hearing before the High Court in relation to the, now leading, case considering the application of Article 2 for cases involving the treatment of mental health in the community.
• Inquest into the death of Alexander Tostevin: Nikita was junior counsel for the Ministry of Defence in an inquest into the death of a member of specialist military unit, in which there were complex arguments about the anonymity of the unit and its members.
• Rushbrooke v HM Coroner for West London: Nikita acted on behalf of the Coroner in an application to the Divisional Court to quash the inquest into the death of Sylvia Rushbrooke who was, at the time of her death, subject to a DOLS order and resident in a care home. The application was based upon procedural irregularities in the first inquest as well as insufficiency of inquiry.
• R.e. Peter John Fasoli: Nikita acted on behalf of the Senior Coroner for West London in an application to the Divisional Court to quash the inquest into the death of Peter Fasoli. Mr Fasoli’s death was originally found to be accidental, following a fire at his home. Video footage subsequently discovered showed that Mr Fasoli was murdered before the fire was intentionally set.
• Cummings v HM Coroner for West London: Nikita acted for the Senior Coroner for West London in an application to quash the inquest into the death of an elderly lady who died when her home caught on fire, following receipt of a new investigation by the London Fire Brigade into the possible causes of that fire.
• Hillsborough Stadium Disaster: Nikita was instructed by Sir John Goldring as junior counsel to the inquest into the death of 96 football fans at the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster. Nikita was particularly involved in the consideration of the extensive and complex pathological evidence.