Rebecca Hirst

Year of Call:
1999
Practice areas
  • Crime
  • Personal Injury
  • Regulatory


Profile

Rebecca has a wealth of experience across the range of courts, tribunals and committees. She specialises in personal injury and regulatory law.

Rebecca was called in 1999 by Gray’s Inn who also provided her with a Senior Scholarship. She has been a practicing barrister since then. She completed her pupillage at Lamb Building in London, was in practice in London for 2 years before moving to Cobden House Chambers in Manchester.

She spent the first 10 years in practice at the criminal bar both defending and prosecuting. She also developed her health and safety and regulatory practice. It was during that time she honed her advocacy skills, her tenacity and her attention to detail. Those skills have helped her develop her successful practice. Rebecca then moved her practice into personal injury and currently practices in both personal injury, health and safety and regulatory law.


Rebecca has a common sense approach. She is able to put her clients at ease both during court proceedings but also outside of the court environment. She is hard working, prepared to assist professional clients with out of hours communication, can work collaboratively and enjoys legal argument. She has excellent advocacy skills and can robustly advance her client’s case.

Rebecca’s experience and skills as a barrister led her to be appointed to a number of national panels including the list of specialist regulatory advocates (Health and Safety and Environmental Law) and the Attorney-General’s unified list of Prosecuting Advocates.

Rebecca regularly assists in the training of specialist health and safety inspectors.


PERSONAL INJURY


Rebecca represents both Claimants and defendants and has particular experience in LVI/fraud issues in road traffic cases. Her personal injury work ranges from the county court to the appellate courts.

Rebecca has a common sense approach. She is able to put her clients at ease both during court proceedings but also outside of the court environment. She has excellent advocacy skills and can robustly advance her client’s case.

The type of work she regularly undertakes includes;

  • RTA cases including LVI/fraud

  • Employers Liability

  • Occupiers Liability/Highways

  • Inquests



REGULATORY LAW

Rebecca has significant experience of regulatory work, particularly in Health and Safety litigation. She has been instructed by the Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency, the Office of Rail and Road regulators and BIS (the department for Business, Innovation and Skills). She appears in a range of courts, including the coroners court for inquests, and is instructed to prosecute and, increasingly, defend regulatory cases.

Rebecca regularly trains Health and Safety Inspectors. She is particularly involved in the training of specialist inspectors in their capacity as expert witnesses.


Rebecca’s experience and skills led to her appointment to a number of national panels including the list of specialist Regulatory Advocates specialising in environmental and health and safety law.

Career

Appointments

Health and Safety Panel Counsel (Appointed in 2012) - Currently Panel B

Attorney General’s unified list of Prosecuting Advocates 2006 - 2012

Notable Cases

Personal Injury

Fozal Ali V Axa Insurance [2018] High Court

High Court appeal conducted on behalf of the Appellant in which procedural irregularities concerning witness evidence had caused a Judge of the lower court to strike out a multi track claim. The appeal was successful.


Mandeep Singh V Elemir Sesti

A multi track RTA fraud ring case in which the defendant was joined with 6 others. The evidence included telephone and social media records.


Regulatory

HSE v HIS Energy

This was a case concerning a fatality caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. Rebecca prosecuted the case under s.2 HSWA. Following a 3 day jury trial the Defendant was convicted and a £500,000 fine was imposed.

Christopher Morris

A 5 day inquest following a fatality caused by an overturned fork lift truck. Rebecca was instructed on behalf of the HSE.

HSE v Stuart Webster

Rebecca prosecuted the case which involved a fatality on a farm from defective farming equipment. The prosecution was ultimately successful with a £50,000 fine imposed.

HSE v Primopost

This case was a guilty plea which involved arguments as to the level of fine and piercing the corporate veil. Rebecca prosecuted and Richard Mathews QC defended. Following legal argument the company was sentenced on the basis it was not impecunious.

HSE v 6699 Ltd

An HSE prosecution following a fatality in which Rebecca defended. The prosecution were seeking to prosecute individual directors as well as the company. The prosecution was ultimately confined to charges against the company.

Environment Agency V Albert Nelson

An EA prosecution following the illegal dumping of waste and pollutants on land which lead to a jury trial in which Rebecca prosecuted.


Environment Agency v Gregory Jeffries

Rebecca defended the illegal pollution of farm land leading to the withdrawal of some charge and the passing of lesser sentences for those remaining charges.


ORR v Merseyrail

The case involved a near miss of passenger trains and the presentation of technical evidence. Rebecca prosecuted and ensured suitable fines were imposed.

BIS v Livesey

Rebecca prosecuted this case which concerned the disqualification of directors. A successful jury trial was conducted and the Defendant was appropriately sentenced.


BIS v Bell

Rebecca prosecuted this case for BIS. It was an offence arising out of bankruptcy proceedings. An issue arose as to the admissibility of admissions made during those bankruptcy proceedings. Through protracted legal argument in which the prosecution sought to rely upon those admissions the material was deemed admissible.

Membership

Personal Injury Bar Association

Health and Safety Lawyers Association




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