MARK TURNER QC

Head of Chambers

Call 1981     Gray’s Inn
Queen’s Counsel 1998

Personal injuries

Inquests 

Common Law 

Business crime and regulatory

BA (Oxon)

turner@deanscourt.co.uk

What the Directories Say

'Unfailingly impressive.' He has 'Very good judgement and sharp character. When handling cases and appearing at inquests he just outclasses people. He is a strong advocate who sees issues quickly.
'- Chamber UK 2012
'handles HSE fatality cases and environmental matters'
- Legal 500, 2011
"fights his corner hard," but is not prone to posturing and has cultivated a sensible, pragmatic approach to litigation.
- Chambers UK 2011
"a pragmatic, technically astute and effective barrister who has a calming influence on clients."
- Chambers UK 2011
'tremendous cross-examination skills....monumental ability to convey complicated facts to a jury'
- Chambers UK 2010
'good value, very clever and liked by clients.'
- Legal 500, 2010


Legal 500

Individual

 

 

 

 

Appointments

Assistant Recorder 1998
Recorder 2000
Bencher of Gray’s Inn 2004
Head of Deans Court Chambers 2005
Deputy High Court Judge 2007


Associated Chambers

Crown Office Chambers
Temple, London, EC47 7HJ
Tel: 020 7797 8100


Education

Sedbergh School and The Queen’s College, Oxford
(BA Jurisprudence)


Areas of Practice

Mark Turner is Head of Deans Court Chambers and specialises in catastrophic injury and disease litigation, representing both claimants and defendants. He is also head of the Health, Safety and Regulatory Crime Group. In addition, he advises on issues of environmental and insurance law.


Publications

Occupational Stress: Occupational Illness Litigation
Encyclopaedia (Sweet & Maxwell 2006)
Stress caused by sacking: PIBA Newsletter (2003)
Occupational Asthma and Mucous Membrane
Disease: Industrial Disease Litigation
(Sweet & Maxwell 1998)


Professional Associations

Personal Injuries Bar Association
Northern Circuit Commercial Bar Association
London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association


Notable Cases

House of Lords

Transco -v- Stockport BC [2003] 3 WLR 1467 (Scope and application of Rylands –v- Fletcher);
Gorringe -v- Calderdale [2004] 1 WLR 1057 (Local Authority duties of care);
Majrowski -v- Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Trust [2006] UKHL 34 (Vicarious liability for breach of statutory duty)

Court of Appeal

Veakins v Kier Islington Limited [2009] CA Pending. Permission given. Extent of duty of employer under Protection from Harassment Act 1996
Stanton v Collinson [2009] CA Pending. Permission given. Re-visiting Froom v Butcher on extent of deduction for contributory negligence in failing to wear a seat belt and role of medical evidence in determining issue of causation.
Office of Fair Trading v Miller [2009] EWCA Civ 34. Stop Now Orders (E.C. Directive) Regulations 2001 and the Fair Trading Act 1973.
Ellis v Hotel Vienna [2009] EWCA Civ 74 Occupier’s liability for fall from hotel window.
Crompton v Dunn Line [2007] 17 Dec CA Road traffic
Whittle -v- Bennett [2006] 1 Nov CA (Duties of care and causation in negligence);
R -v- Director of Assets Recovery Agency [2006] 19 Oct CA (Application of Art. 7 ECHR to retrospective provisions of POCA 2002);
Casey -v- Cartwright [2006] EWCA Civ 1280 (Application of Kearsley -v- Klarfield);
R -v- Transco plc [2006] EWCA Crim 838 (Impact of financial status of defendant on level of £1,000,000 fine);
Kearsley -v- Klarfield [2006] EWCA Civ 1510 (Low impact collision claims);
Williams -v- Yasin [2005] EWCA Civ 1622 (Interim payments);
Morris -v- FMC Chemicals Ltd [2005] CA (Resiling from admissions of liability);
Merseyside Fire & Civil Defence Authority -v- Bassie [2005] EWCA Civ 405 (Personal injury);
Donachie -v- Greater Manchester Police [2004] EWCA Civ 405 (Control mechanisms in respect of psychiatric injury);
Aitchison -v- Booker Food Services [2003] EWCA Civ 1041 (Civil procedure);
Jones -v- JLA Limited [2002] EWCA Civ 1120 (Personal injury and defective equipment);
Rawlinson -v- Cooper [2002] EWCA Civ 392 (Personal injury);
Priestley -v- Harrogate Healthcare Trust [2002] EWCA Civ 183 (Clinical Negligence);
Collins -v- CPS Fuels [2001] EWCA Civ 1597 (Striking out under the CPS);
Jameson -v- Smith [2001] EWCA Civ 1264 (Control of expert evidence under CPS);
Billington -v- Maguire [2001] EWCA Civ 273 (Personal Injury);
Hough -v- Chief Constable of Stafford [2001] Times 14 Feb (Police powers);
Gloster -v- Greater Manchester Police [2000] CA 24 March (Interpretation of Animals Act 1971);
Rihani -v- Wareing & Son (Wrae Green) Ltd [2000] CA 10 Feb (Limitation);
Webb -v- Chief Constable of Merseyside [2000] Q.B. 427 (Police rights of property confiscation without conviction);
Briscoe -v- Lubrizol [2000] I.C.R. 694 (Duty of care of insurers to employees under Group Policy);
Hobin -v- Douglas (No. 3) [2000] P.I.Q.R. Q1 (Offers to settle);
Osborne -v- Leighton [1999] CA 30 April (First summary judgment in defamation claim);
Hobin -v- Douglas (No. 2) [1998] Times 29 Dec (Personal Injury);
Hobin -v- Douglas (No. 1) [1997] CA 30 October (Stay of execution);
Da Silva -v- Manchester [1997] QBENF 97/1182/1 (Striking out);
Bannister -v- SGB plc [1997] 4 All ER 129 (Striking out);
AB -v- John Wyeth [1997] 8 Med LR 57 (Group action procedure);
Lewis -v- Hillsyde Foundry [1996] CA 21 Nov (Personal injury);
Grogan -v- Meredith [1996] Times Feb 20 (CPA conditions);
Jones -v- Northampton B.C. [1992] 156 L.G. Rev 23 CA (Club immunity and the operation of UCTA 1977);
R -v- Manchester Justices [1989] Q.B. 1357 (Judicial Review personal liability of justices)

Other Notable Cases

AB v Manchester City Council (2009) Multi-party sexual abuse litigation.
Hopps v Mott McDonald and Ministry of Defence (2009) Adequacy of armoured vehicles provide following invasion of Iraq.
R v Chester le Street [2009] Double fatality following escape of inflatable art structure.
Gray v Thames Trains [2007] EWHC 1558 QB (Scope of doctrine of ex turpi causa)
Conwy cycling tragedy (2007) (Britain’s worst cycling tragedy)
Asda Stores v Wandsworth Borough Council [2007] EWHC 433 (Admin) (Duplication of offences charged)
Barrow-in-Furness Legionnaires Disease (2005-6) (First local authority manslaughter case)
Hatfield Disaster (2003)
Paddington Rail Disaster (2003) (Ladbroke Grove)
Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre Fire (2002)
Secretary of State for Social Security -v- Oldham M.B.C. (2001) (Challenging CRU certificates)
Coach Disaster in French Alps (1998)
Sparrow -v- St. Andrews Homes (1998) (First passive smoking case)
Grand National postponement through IRA threat (1997)
Manchester IRA bombing (1996)
Achille Lauro Cruise Ship Disaster Claims (1996)
Hillsborough Disaster (1995)
Gaskell -v- Rentokil (1994) (Blood dyscrasias and Lindane)
Bland v Stockport M.B.C. (1993) (First sick building syndrome claim)
Benzodiazepine Litigation (on behalf of Upjohn Corporation USA also in Scotland and United States on worldwide claims)
Fred West murders (civil litigation)
Birmingham Six (forensic expert civil litigation)

Cervical Cancer Screening Litigation
British Aerospace Legionnaires Disease Litigation
ICI Bladder Cancer Litigation
North West, Cheshire and South Wales Child Abuse Litigation
Volvo VWF Litigation
Local Authority Occupational Stress Claims
British Telecom Isocyanates Asthma Litigation
Steroid Litigation
Ferranti Fraud Litigation

Health, Safety and Regulatory Crime

Mark Turner is head of the Deans Court Health, Safety and Regulatory Crime Group and acts regularly for commercial clients in these areas. He and other members of the group work in close association with the European Occupational Health and Safety Law Research Centre for whom he has presented seminars in London and Manchester on the health and safety aspects of stress at work and clinical practice. Other lecture topics include the investigation of work related deaths and general introductions to the law relating to health and safety.

For reasons of confidentiality, details of individual cases are not given but clients include: ASDA, Transco, United Utilities, Jarvis plc, EMR, Superdrug, Greater Manchester Fire Authority, Fylde Borough Council, Group 4, Textron, Clear Channel and Stoves plc.