What the Directories Say...
"Sophie is among the current generation of leading inquiry lawyers. She's brilliant, extremely clever and sensitive to inquest work."
Chambers and Partners, 2025
"Sophie Cartwright KC is an incredibly thorough and diligent advocate. She is phenomenal - one of the best advocates in the field."
Chambers and Partners, 2025
“Sophie is incredibly thorough; she is involved in high-profile matters and has been counsel to various inquiries.”
Chambers and Partners, 2024
Sophie has phenomenal client care skills; she can talk to a client, explain a complex issue, and put them at ease in even the most difficult circumstances. She is passionate about what she does and truly cares, and she is a good advocate and her calm demeanour hides a ruthless instinct.
Legal 500, 2024
Sophie Cartwright KC is revered for her superb knowledge of coronial law, leading to her frequent appointment as counsel to the inquiry in high-profile inquests or public inquiries. She is thorough and detail-oriented; she lists evidence carefully and thoughtfully and is able to make a strong connection with families.
Chambers and Partners, 2023
Sophie is tenacious. She will leave no stone unturned and always goes the extra mile.
Legal 500, 2023
Sophie Cartwright KC is renowned for her expertise in high-profile inquests and public inquiries. She is frequently instructed to defend coroners in judicial review proceedings challenging their conduct and the scope of inquests. She is also experienced in public law cases involving mental capacity and the Court of Protection.
Chambers and Partners, 2023
She's a very nice advocate in sensitive cases.
Highly proficient on technical details and legal points.
Chambers and Partners, 2022
She's very amenable and helpful but dogged and forensic in her analysis of cases.
A very able new silk.
She is incredibly good at investigating and will squirrel away until she identifies the key points to be raised.
She is well prepared and has a very calm manner.
Chambers and Partners, 2022
A very experienced, highly regarded and hard-working barrister.
She is enormously bright, very approachable and talented.
She is a very forensic cross-examiner and her approach was very collaborative with other advocates.
Chambers and Partners, 2021
Undoubtedly the most impressive barrister I have instructed in recent years in terms of her attention to detail, encyclopedic technical knowledge, persuasive advocacy and focus on her client. Her absolute commitment to a case and tenacious approach to the evidence always pay off.
Chambers and Partners, 2021
She's very impressive. She's up to speed in terms of all recent developments and she has a good court presence.
Chambers and Partners, 2021
She's a very safe pair of hands.
She is very measured and thorough.
Her key strength is the level of support she provides and her empathy for those she is representing.
Chambers and Partners, 2020
Extremely helpful and excellent with clients.
Recent work: Acted on behalf of HSE in the prosecution of AGC Chemicals for a chemical spillage of a large container of acid onto the foot of a worker at the chemical plant.
Chambers and Partners
Experienced prosecutor on behalf of the GMC, also handling high-profile public inquiry police cases. Her professional discipline practice also takes in the representation of regulated professionals and organisations. "Very able and personable. I'm really impressed by her." "Very thorough and engaging."
Chambers and Partners
Practises health and safety law as well as professional discipline and public law. She has extensive experience representing parties in inquests and also sits as an assistant coroner. She regularly prosecutes and defends in health and safety proceedings. She is particularly experienced in cases arising out of workplace fatalities.
Ms Cartwright has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law surrounding the coronial and health and safety arenas. She is able to advise on these issues and put clients at ease.
Highly organised, competent and personable.
Chambers and Partners
Revered for her knowledge of coronial law. She frequently acts for interested parties, coroners and NGOs in inquests and judicial reviews which determine the boundaries of coronial law. Encyclopaedic knowledge of the law, sound judgement and extremely good at dealing with people.
Chambers UK
She has an ability to put clients at ease in very stressful situations.
Legal 500
Able to explain the key aspects of the case succinctly' (Regulatory, health and safety, and licensing)
Legal 500
Acts on behalf of clinical commissioning groups, foundation trusts, local authorities and individual doctors in judicial review proceedings. She is also experienced in handling medical inquests. "She is very confident, very competent and very knowledgeable. She's a very experienced advocate.
Chambers UK
Is regularly instructed by major transport companies.
Legal 500
Is recommended for inquest work.
Legal 500
Is recommended for complex inquests and Court of Protection matters.
Legal 500
Sophie is an assistant coroner, which gives you confidence when she is handling an inquest. There is a great sensitivity about her, and she is extremely thorough so we never question her preparation. She has great attention to detail and is a really safe pair of hands.
Chambers and Partners
Her attention to detail is second to none and she has the ability to put clients at ease in very stressful situations and explain complex legal issues in simple terms. She foresees potential issues well in advance and is always prepared.
She's a very safe pair of hands and a very good opponent.
Chambers and Partners
‘She provides exceptional client care.’
Legal 500
Revered for her knowledge of coronial law. She frequently acts for interested parties, coroners and NGOs in inquests and judicial reviews which determine the boundaries of coronial law. She is capable across a broad range of subjects, including health and safety, police shootings, mental healthcare and other Article 2 inquests. An encyclopaedic knowledge of law in the coronial and health and safety arena.
She is absolutely excellent. Very efficient, very easy to deal with and she won't be fazed no matter what you say to her. She approaches everything with a refreshing positivity.
Chambers and Partners
‘Recommended for health and safety cases.’
Legal 500
Experienced prosecutor on behalf of the GMC and handler of high-profile public inquiry police cases. Her professional discipline practice also takes in the representation of individual professionals, local authorities and NHS trusts.
She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the relevant area of law. She has sound judgement and is extremely good at dealing with people.
She is extremely knowledgeable in relation to healthcare crime and regulation. A team player who impresses clients with a personable manner and effective advocacy.
Chambers UK
Handles regulatory and disciplinary matters on behalf of local councils, the GMC, FSA and ICO. She has particular experience of inquests involving the death of a child or vulnerable adult. (Professional Discipline)
She's very capable and very effective at cross examining. She is very good at putting vulnerable witnesses and patients at ease while ensuring the best evidence is obtained.
She is an advocate of the highest standard. She is intelligent, able, hard working and meticulous; a credit to the chambers.
Chambers UK
Regularly acts for local authorities, NHS Trusts and prisons during inquests.’ (Regulatory, health and safety, and licensing).
Legal 500
She is excellent with clients, and really helps to put them at ease." - Professional Discipline
Chambers UK
Highly recommended for complex inquest instructions.
Legal 500
She is enormously bright, very approachable and talented.
She is a very forensic cross-examiner and her approach was very collaborative with other advocates.
Chambers and Partners
She is simply brilliant.
Legal 500
Her practice includes health and safety and professional disciplinary cases.
Legal 500
She's very good in court, and she prepares really well.
Recent work: Resisted a challenge by a patient at Ashworth Hospital to the adoption of a Night Time Confinement Policy on the ward on which he was residing, alleging breaches of Articles 5 and 8.
Chambers and Partners
Experienced prosecutor on behalf of the GMC, also handling high-profile public inquiry police cases. Her professional discipline practice also takes in the representation of regulated professionals and organisations.
Very approachable.
Recent work: Acted as counsel to an inquest relating to the shooting in Iraq of two men by Daniel Fitzsimons while working as an armed security contractor for G4S.
Chambers and Partners
Renowned for her expertise in inquests. She is frequently engaged in judicial review proceedings challenging the scope of inquests and the conduct of coroners. She routinely acts for local authorities and healthcare trusts in challenges against policy and decisions. She is also experienced in public law cases involving mental capacity and the Court of Protection.
Sensible and measured, and her written work is of very good quality. She produces excellent skeletons.
Good in court. She is thorough, clear, articulate and to the point.
Chambers and Partners
Renowned for her expertise in inquests. She is frequently engaged in judicial review proceedings challenging the scope of inquests and the conduct of coroners. She routinely acts for local authorities and healthcare trusts in challenges against policy and decisions.
Hard-working, well informed and well prepared.
A lawyer with a very good grasp of the law, she is a persuasive advocate who is strong in negotiations.
Really good with clients and witnesses.
Chambers UK
Well regarded for her regulatory and public law work, with particular experience in community care and healthcare matters. She frequently acts on behalf of NHS trusts, local authorities and companies. She also represents healthcare bodies and doctors in judicial reviews. (Administrative & Public Law)
She's a very approachable person and very good with clients.
She's very good technically and gets a good grasp on the case. She always goes that extra mile to help with cases.
Chambers UK
Regularly represents the GMC in professional discipline cases. She also has experience in inquests and public law work, and is frequently instructed by NHS trusts and local authorities.
Chambers UK
She is very good at dealing with the technical issues that arise during a case, and she is excellent at dealing with clients. She quickly grasps the key issues and goes out of her way to make herself accessible to us and to the client." - Public and Administrative Law
Chambers UK
