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The Team

The Chair

Kate Eves

Photo of Kate Eves, Inquiry Chair

As Chair, Kate Eves sets the direction of the Inquiry and makes decisions about how the Inquiry will work.

Kate has over 20 years’ experience of conducting research, inspections and investigations within custodial environments, in the UK and overseas.

Kate has worked with HM Inspectorate of Prisons, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, the Forum for Preventing Deaths in Custody and HM Prison Service, where she led on the national strategy for reducing violence in custody. Kate has also worked with numerous prison and jail systems in the United States to improve detention conditions and increase accountability following deaths and serious incidents.

Kate was appointed as Chair to the Brook House Inquiry by the Home Secretary in November 2019.

The Secretary

Sam Ashby

Sam was appointed Secretary in October 2022, having previously been the Inquiry’s Deputy Secretary and Head of Governance since January 2020.  Sam is a civil servant with over 20 years’ experience of policy development, project management and strategic analysis across a range of Government departments and policies.

Solicitors to the Inquiry

Solicitor to the Inquiry – Ellis Pinnell

Ellis Pinnell is an employed barrister and an experienced civil servant.  Before joining the Inquiry, he worked at the Government Legal Department (GLD) where he dealt with public law litigation. Ellis also worked for the Legal Aid Agency (and predecessor bodies) in a variety of roles.

Deputy Solicitor – Alexandra Momcilovic

Alex began her career in private practice in Australia, working predominantly in insurance law including personal injury and public liability claims.  She joined the Government Legal Department in December 2017 and joined the Inquiry legal team in August 2020.  Alex was appointed as Deputy Solicitor to the Brook House Inquiry in February 2022.

Counsel to the Inquiry

Lead Counsel to the Inquiry – Brian Altman KC

Brian was called to the bar in 1981 and was appointed KC in 2008.  He has been a Recorder of the Crown Court since 2003.

Brian has a long and successful career as Leading Counsel in the most serious and high profile criminal cases.  He ended his highly successful tenure as First Senior Treasury Counsel at the Old Bailey in June 2013, having been Treasury Counsel for 16 years.

In January 2017, Brian was appointed Lead Counsel to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Brian was appointed as Lead Counsel to the Brook House Inquiry in April 2021.

Junior Counsel – Sarah Simcock

Photo of Sarah Simock

Sarah was called to the bar in 2001.

Sarah has extensive experience in the law relating to mental capacity, mental health and healthcare, and all aspects of police law. Sarah regularly acts in inquests and inquiries.

Sarah was appointed as Senior Junior Counsel to the Brook House Inquiry in April 2021.

Junior Counsel – Saoirse Townshend

Saoirse was called to the Bar in 2010. She has experience in immigration, asylum, human rights, trafficking and extradition law. Saoirse has also worked in several international postings, including refugee camps, where she represented migrants and asylum seekers.

Saoirse was appointed as Junior Counsel to the Brook House Inquiry in December 2019.

Junior Counsel – Jo Moore

Jo was called to the Bar in 2015. She has academic and practical experience in immigration law, asylum and immigration detention. Prior to being called to the Bar, Jo studied international human rights law, international refugee law and European migration law.

Jo was appointed as Junior Counsel to the Brook House Inquiry in December 2019.

Junior Counsel – Paul Livingston

Paul was called to the Bar in 2012.  He has considerable experience of public inquiries, having been instructed as junior counsel to a public inquiry continuously since the beginning of his career. This includes the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry and three separate strands of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

Paul was appointed as Junior Counsel to the Brook House Inquiry in November 2020.

Junior Counsel – Harriet Wakeman

Harriet was called to the Bar in 2017. She specialises in public inquiries and inquests, including being instructed as junior counsel in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, acting for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and as junior counsel to the inquests in the Bugaled Breizh inquests.

Harriet was instructed as a junior junior to the Brook House Inquiry in October 2020 and was appointed as Junior Counsel to the Brook House Inquiry in 2021.

Junior Counsel – Charlotte Crocombe

Charlotte was called to the Bar in 2020. She specialises in civil remedies for anti-social and criminal behaviour, inquests and inquiries.

Prior to being called to the bar, Charlotte was a paralegal to the Infected Blood Inquiry. She has also worked in Uganda advocating for refugees who had suffered human trafficking and torture.

Charlotte was instructed as a junior junior to the Brook House Inquiry in June 2021 and was appointed as Junior Counsel in January 2023.”

Junior Counsel – Paul Erdunast

Paul was called to the Bar in 2018. He has experience in immigration and asylum law, and immigration detention. He was instructed as junior counsel in October 2020.

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