Join INQUEST Lawyers Group

The INQUEST Lawyers’ Group (ILG) supports the work of INQUEST. It is a national group of lawyers who act in the field of inquest law predominantly for bereaved families, and share INQUEST's values and objectives. 

The ILG promotes and develops knowledge and expertise in the law and practice of inquests by acting as a forum for the exchange of ideas and experience and offering training. Alongside INQUEST, the ILG campaigns for reform on issues of concern – for example, for non-means tested public funding to enable specialist legal representation for bereaved people at inquests.

Benefits of full ILG membership for practitioners:

• Subscription to Inquest Law (published 3 times a year) – the only publicly available journal that provides regular case notes and reports on inquests following contentious deaths and updates on changes to inquest law and policy;
• Inclusion in a specialist private email group of ILG members with circulation of regular email updates on inquest law related cases, judgments and changes in policy, procedure and practice;
• Access to INQUEST’s casework and policy expertise including information and advice on individual cases, inquest law, practice and policy background;
• Secure access to the INQUEST Library Online (ILO), an INQUEST-hosted searchable web based database containing a range of inquest conclusion and related documents on all cases where INQUEST was involved since 2013.
• Provision of media support and issuing of press releases from INQUEST in selected, specialist cases;
• Opportunity to input into INQUEST’s policy and campaigning work around inquests including regular roundtable meetings with, for example, the Chief Coroner, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, the Independent Police Complaints Commission and the Legal Aid Agency;
• Invitations to regular meetings hosted by leading professionals to discuss current issues in inquest law and practice (CPD points available);
• Opportunity to discuss issues and network with peers at meetings and through the ILG email group;
• Preferential rates for INQUEST training courses.

Membership criteria

Those eligible to be full members of the ILG are:

• Individual barristers (including pupils)
• Solicitors firms

Members must share INQUEST’s objectives and predominantly represent bereaved families at inquests.

Please note:

• Practitioners who do not predominantly act for bereaved families in inquests are not eligible to join the ILG.
• Barristers’ chambers cannot join the ILG but individual barristers can.
• Full-time coroners cannot be members of the ILG.

However, groups and individuals not eligible for ILG membership are welcome to take out a stand-alone subscription to Inquest Law magazine.

The ILG operates on trust and professional judgement. There is an ongoing obligation to inform INQUEST if an individual or firm’s practice changes and they feel they no longer meet the criteria for ILG membership.

Membership details

To join now, please complete this form with your membership details:      MEMBERSHIP FORM

Following this step, a member of our casework team will approve your request and send you information to set up your payment. 

*Please note: this may take up to 2 weeks.

To enquire about the status of your application, please contact Jennifer Edmunds at [email protected] 

Payment of annual fees

The fee structure for membership of the INQUEST Lawyers Group from is outlined below. Membership of the ILG runs for one year from the date your membership is processed. You can set up a recurring membership by direct debit by selecting 'Automatic Annual Renewal'. 

• Solicitors firms 
  Suitable for solicitors firms with solicitors who represent bereaved families and who support INQUEST's aims and objectives; includes membership of the private email discussion group for practitioners.
  

  1. Solicitors' firms (with 1-3 inquest practitioners)	£300
  2. Solicitors' firms (4+ inquest practitioners)	£500

• Barristers 
  Suitable for individual barristers and pupils who represent bereaved families and support INQUEST's aims and objectives; includes membership of the private email discussion group for practitioners. 
  (Please note that barristers' chambers are not eligible to join the ILG, only individual barristers and pupils.)
  

  3. Barristers	£150
  4. Pupil barristers	£75