Watkins Solicitors Expands Judicial Review and Human Rights Team with Appointment of Beatrice Morgan

Watkins Solicitors are pleased to announce that Beatrice Morgan has joined the firm as an Associate Solicitor in the Judicial Review and Human Rights team.

Beatrice joins Watkins Solicitors with significant experience acting for vulnerable individuals and families in cases involving health and social care, human rights, inquests, public law challenges, Court of Protection proceedings and public inquiries.

Her appointment marks an important development for the firm, expanding the range of specialist public law and human rights services available to individuals and families, including parents or relatives acting on behalf of children or adults who cannot conduct legal proceedings themselves, as well as charities, advocacy organisations, case managers, support workers, professional deputies, solicitors and other professionals working with vulnerable people, people with care and support needs, and bereaved families.

Beatrice’s work includes claims for damages on behalf of children, young people and adults who have suffered harm in health and social care settings. This may include cases involving autistic people, people with learning disabilities, people with physical disabilities, people with communication needs, people detained under the Mental Health Act, people subject to deprivation of liberty safeguards, and those receiving care in residential settings, supported living arrangements or in their own home.

These claims may arise from serious failures in care by NHS bodies, local authorities or commissioned care providers, including unsafe or inappropriate care, inappropriate restraint, medication errors, degrading treatment, unlawful restrictions on liberty, safeguarding concerns, and psychological or physical harm caused by inadequate treatment or support.

Beatrice will also advise and represent bereaved families at inquests involving deaths in, or following recent contact with, health and social care services. This may include deaths connected with mental health services, inpatient units, hospitals, residential and nursing care homes, supported living, community care, local authority social care, autism treatment units and learning disability services.

Her judicial review and public law work includes challenges to decisions made by public bodies, with particular experience in matters involving NHS organisations and health bodies. This may include challenges to refusals to provide treatment or medication, individual funding request decisions, healthcare eligibility criteria, and policies applied by NHS bodies.

Beatrice also has experience in Court of Protection health and welfare proceedings, including cases involving residence, deprivation of liberty, care arrangements, contact and personal relationships.

In addition, Beatrice brings substantial public inquiry experience, having worked for more than  eight years on the Infected Blood Inquiry and having been involved in three modules of the Covid Inquiry.

Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Beatrice to Watkins Solicitors. She brings a depth of experience in highly sensitive and complex areas of law, where individuals and families are often facing extremely difficult circumstances and need clear, specialist and determined support.

Beatrice brings not only technical expertise, but a real understanding of the human impact of poor care, unlawful decision-making and institutional failings. Her work sits at the heart of what Watkins Solicitors has always aimed to do: helping people challenge decisions, access the support they need and seek accountability when something has gone wrong.

Her appointment is an important step in the continued growth of our Judicial Review and Human Rights team. It strengthens the specialist advice we can offer to clients and families, while also creating new opportunities for referrers, charities, advocates and other professionals looking for trusted legal support for people with care and support needs.

We are very pleased to have Beatrice as part of the firm and look forward to seeing this important area of work develop at Watkins Solicitors.”

Beatrice said:

“I am very excited to have joined Watkins Solicitors and to be part of a firm with such a strong commitment to public law, legal aid and supporting individuals and families at some of the most difficult points in their lives.

Behind every case is a person, a family, and a set of circumstances that really matter. I believe clients should feel listened to and properly advised from the outset, particularly when they are dealing with complex systems and difficult questions about care, treatment, rights or accountability.

Much of my work involves assisting people to challenge poor decision making, to access treatment and care that that properly meets their needs, or to seek accountability for serious failures by those responsible for protecting them from harm.

I am looking forward to developing this work at Watkins Solicitors and helping to expand the services available to clients, families and referrers across England and Wales.”

Watkins Solicitors can assist with enquiries involving:

• Claims for damages arising from serious health and social care failures
• Human rights issues involving vulnerable children, young people and adults
• Inquests involving health and social care services
• Judicial review and public law challenges involving access to healthcare, treatment or medication
• Court of Protection health and welfare proceedings including issues around  residence, care arrangements, contact and personal relationships
• Public inquiries relating to health, social care and the treatment of vulnerable people

Watkins Solicitors are a multi award winning law firm with more than 55 staff across offices in Bristol, Bath and Hereford. Founded in 1998, the firm has built a strong reputation for providing clear, practical and client focused advice across areas including Family Law, Education Law, Conveyancing, Public Law, Legal Aid, Wills, Powers of Attorney, Probate and Estate Administration.

For more information about Watkins Solicitors’ Judicial Review and Human Rights services, please contact 0117 939 0350 or email info@watkinssolicitors.co.uk.