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 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;
  • Opportunities 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.
  • Senior 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: we are currently experiencing a high volume of applications and as such new joiners may take longer than two weeks to be processed.

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

Please also contact Jennifer f you'd like to update your area of specialism and interests on our records (e.g. prison, police, detained and non-detained mental health settings and immigration detention, or your direct phone number, and whether or not you are interested in pro bono work.)

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'. 

  • Our definition of ‘practitioner’ in relation to the below membership levels, is ‘qualified lawyer at a law firm, whether solicitor or employed barrister, or paralegal’. Paralegals should therefore be included in the total.
  • In terms of whether the fee level applies to the number of inquest practitioners, or to the number of all practitioners in a firm, it applies to the number of inquest practitioners, and therefore not to all practitioners in a firm.

Solicitors firms 
Suitable for 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 and membership of the INQUEST Library Online (ILO).

1. Solicitors – Sole Practitioners (less than 3 years practice)      

 £150 

2. Solicitors – Sole Practitioners (3 years or more practice)      

£200

3. Solicitors' firms (with 1-3 practitioners)

£400

4. Solicitors' firms (4 to 15 practitioners)

 £600 

5. Solicitors' firms (15+ practitioners)

 £1,000 

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 and membership of the INQUEST Library Online (ILO). Please note that barristers' chambers are not eligible to join the ILG, only individual barristers and pupils.

6. Pupil Barristers

£50
7. Barristers (less than 3 years practice)

£150
8. Barristers (3 years or more practice)

 £200
9. Barristers (Queen’s Counsel)

 £300

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

Any questions? Contact [email protected] 

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    Author: Lucy McKay

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