James Bourne-Arton KC

James Bourne-Arton KC is often instructed at both first instance hearing as well as appeals in the High Court.

He accepts instructions to represent any individual facing proceedings before their regulatory body.

James has represented members of the medical profession facing a wide variety of misconduct allegations from criminal offences, such a theft and sexual assault, to medical malpractice.

He has advised and conducted hearings for accountants, financial advisers and chartered surveyors.

He has given talks on legal developments and differing approaches to sanctions in cases before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service.

Criminal regulatory

Over the course of his twenty-five years practicing as a barrister, James has prosecuted and defended a wide range of individuals and companies relating to regulatory breaches.  He is very familiar with proceedings in the Crown Court and Court of Appeal.

James has represented a variety of different parties in inquests before coroners alone and Article 2 jury inquests.

In the death of Freddie Civil

James represented the family in this Article 2 inquest.  The deceased had died whilst an inpatient at a secure mental health hospital.  He had walked off the grounds of the hospital and tragically died of a drug overdose.

Although the questions for the jury to determine were relatively narrow, the inquest demonstrated that the deceased had been let down by the treatment he received at the hospital.  The hospital trust implemented changes to their substance abuse care and ensured that similar substance abuse care would be available within a community setting.

Inquest into the death of Rose Carey

James represented the deceased GP medical practice.  The deceased had died following an overdose of drugs prescribed to her by the practice.  There had been a previous overdose and therefore this was a cause for concern.  James was able to establish that the deceased continued to experience significant pain that inevitably required a prescription of pain killers, however the GP practice had reduced the dosage and continued to properly monitor the prescription.  The coroner’s findings completely cleared the practice of any wrongdoing.

Inquest for Karen Thompson

The deceased had died from sepsis.  The coroner focused on whether more could have been done to identify and treat the infection.  James represented a GP who had seen the deceased shortly before her admission to hospital.  In cross examination it was possible to establish that at the time the deceased was examined by the doctor her vital signs were normal and he was justified in not admitting her to hospital.  The doctor’s actions were not criticised in the coroner and there was no impact on his practice.