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Call: 2012 | Solicitor: 2001

Simon Cooper

Albion Chambers

Broad Street Bristol BS1 1DR

Email
  • Overview

    Simon joined Albion Chambers in 2017 and practises exclusively in family law, both public and private law, Court of Protection and Mental Health work.

    Prior to being called to the Bar, Simon was a partner in a firm that specialised in representing those with mental-health difficulties. As a solicitor he practised in family, mental health and Court of Protection work, leading the firm’s family law team. Simon was a member of the Law Society’s specialist mental-health panel. He regularly represented clients before Mental Health Tribunals and acted for those detained at medium and high secure units including patients at Broadmoor special hospital. Given his depth of experience, Simon is often instructed in cases where a party to the proceedings has mental-health difficulties or is otherwise vulnerable.

    Simon is a highly-experienced advocate, his skills having been developed over many years at the Criminal Bar, where he gained particular expertise in dealing with vulnerable clients and those requiring a particularly sensitive or patient approach. He acted for both prosecution and defence in cases of the utmost seriousness including murder, terrorism and serious sexual offences, and honed skills that he now deploys in often highly contentious civil cases. Simon is recognised for his thorough preparation and his ability to manage the most challenging of cases, situations and clients.

    Simon acts on behalf of Local Authorities and private individuals and appears for Guardians and the Official Solicitor.

    Simon is a trustee of Bristol Mind, having previously been a trustee of Mind in Taunton and South Somerset.

    Simon is licensed to accept work under the Public Access scheme.

  • Child Law Public

    Simon is a specialist children law practitioner, having practised in both public and private law as solicitor and as counsel. He accepts instructions in both public and private law proceedings, and represents parents, children and local authorities at all court levels.

    Simon’s experience in mental-health and Court of Protection work means he has particular empathy and understanding in cases involving mental-health issues and deprivation of liberty. Given his substantial experience at the criminal bar, Simon is comfortable dealing with those cases that include allegations of non-accidental injury or in which a party to the proceedings asserts that they have suffered domestic abuse, serious violence or sexual assault.

  • Court of Protection

    Simon has many years of Court of Protection experience both as counsel and solicitor. He is regularly instructed by family members and RPRs wishing to challenge the lawfulness of Deprivation of Liberty (DoLS) authorisations on behalf of P. Simon also acts on behalf of Local Authorities when responding to such challenges under section 21(A) of the Mental Capacity Act. Simon has a particular interest in those cases that overlap the mental health and CoP arenas.

    Simon accepts instructions on behalf of the Official Solicitor in those cases where his involvement is necessary and is able to provide advice to independent advocates, RPRs and Local Authorities in respect of perceived Article 5 deprivations of liberty and claims for declarations or damages for breaches of the Human Rights Act 1998. Simon additionally accepts instructions in proceedings relating to property and affairs.

  • Mental health

    Simon has vast experience of representing detained patients before Mental Health Tribunals in both forensic and non-forensic cases, acting for both restricted and non-restricted patients. He has appeared before tribunals in low, medium and high secure units and has represented patients detained under section 45A of the Mental Health Act 1983 at Broadmoor special hospital. He is able to act, often at short notice, in cases of particular notoriety or complexity, and can provide written or telephone advice if needed to assist those conducting such cases.

    Simon regularly appears on behalf of Local Authorities in proceedings to displace detained patients’ nearest relatives under section 29(3) of the Mental Health Act. In addition he often appears on behalf of patients’ nearest relatives, themselves in displacement proceedings. He is able to advise in advance of section 29(3) proceedings if required.

    Simon has appeared in the High Court in respect of urgent proceedings to obtain injunctive relief for the grant of leave on behalf of a detained patient and has acted for a local authority in responding to a habeas corpus application brought by a nearest relative following successful displacement proceedings.

Simon Cooper

Education

  • LLB (Hons) University of Nottingham

Professional memberships

  • Western Circuit
  • CBA