Neil Sheldon KC

Practice Areas

Neil is recognised as a leading silk in a wide range of practice areas including inquests and public inquiries, public law, professional discipline and medical law. Prior to taking silk he was Junior Counsel to the Crown for 17 years, including 9 years on the 'A Panel'.

Neil has extensive experience of advocacy in the higher courts. He has appeared in over 50 cases in the Court of Appeal, and 10 Supreme Court appeals. He is regularly instructed in proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights.

Neil has been instructed a large number of the most significant inquests and public inquiries to have taken place over the last 25 years. He is currently acting in the Under Cover Policing Inquiry (for the Home Office), the Covid Inquiry (for the Government Office of Science and the GCSA), the Post Office Inquiry (for UK Government Investments), the Grenfell Inquiry (for the Cabinet Office) and the Reading Terror Attack Inquests (for MI5).

Previous instructions, as Counsel to the Inquiry or for core participants, include the Litvinenko Inquiry, the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the Victoria Climbie Inquiry, the Zahid Mubarak Inquiry, the Al Sweady Inquiry, the Fishmongers Hall Terror Attack Inquests, the Westminster Bridge Terror Attack Inquests, the London Bridge Terror Attack Inquests, the Streatham Terror Attack Inquest, the Jermaine Baker Inquiry and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Neil also frequently acts for medical professionals and bereaved families in inquests concerned with deaths involving medical treatment. His medical law practice also extends to clinical negligence claims, for both Claimants and Defendants, and judicial review claims arising in a medical context.

A significant proportion of Neil's work is concerned with national security. He appears regularly before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission and in judicial review proceedings in the higher courts concerning national security related immigration issues.

Neil's professional disciplinary practices encompasses medical and dental professionals, lawyers and police officers.

Please visit the 1 Crown Office Row website for Neil’s profile, which sets out full details of his practice including significant recent cases.