Mass Ndow-Njie
Year of call
2019
Appointments
- Chair of Bridging the Bar (2020-present)
- Member of the Bar Council’s Race Working Group (2020-present)
- Steering group committee member of the 10,000 Black Interns Project (2021-present)
Memberships
- The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
- Personal Injury Bar Association (PIBA)
- Employment Bar Association (EBA)
- Constitutional and Administrative Law Association (ALBA)
- INQUEST
Instructing Mass Ndow-Njie
For more information please contact our clerks by calling +44 (0)20 7242 3555.
Mass Ndow-Njie has a multi-disciplinary practice and welcomes instructions across a range of Chambers’ areas of expertise.
Mass joined 7BR in September 2021, after spending his first two years of practice at the Government Legal Department. Since then, he has gone on to build a busy practice which has led to Chambers & Partners describing him as having “built a reputation as a leading barrister across a number of practice areas.”
In July 2020, Mass became the first ever Pupil Barrister to be awarded ‘Barrister of the Week’ by The Lawyer Publication. In January 2021, he was recognised as Advocate’s ‘Pro-bono Hero of the Month’ for his dedication to a pro-bono case and the result obtained on behalf of his client. In November 2021, Mass was presented with two awards in quick succession after he was declared as the winner of the Middle Temple Young Barristers Association (MTYBA) Rule of Law Essay Competition and commended as a Future Leader at the 2021 Chambers and Partners Awards. In January 2022, Mass was named as one of the UK’s top 100 lawyers by leading legal publication, The Lawyer, in their annual Hot 100 feature.
Mass has delivered keynote speeches within various academic and legal spaces. He has spoken to audiences in the UK Supreme Court, the Inns of Court and various universities.
Mass is committed to enhancing the equality of access into the legal profession. Most notably, he is the founder and chairperson of Bridging the Bar, a charity which aims to support aspiring barristers from statistically underrepresented groups. This experience underscores Mass’ strong ability to relate to clients coming from all walks of life.
Legal Expertise
Clinical Negligence
Clinical Negligence
Mass accepts instructions in clinical negligence cases and has acted in inquests where issues relating to clinical negligence have arisen. Accordingly, Mass has acquired valuable experience cross-examining medical experts.
He has a busy paperwork practice, providing strong and clear written advice. He is regularly instructed to advise on all aspects of clinical negligence claims including liability, merits, causation and quantum. Furthermore, he is able to draft precise and persuasive pleadings.
Mass’s recent instructions include matters concerning the alleged:
- negligent surgery causing tetraplegia.
- negligent care provided by care homes and nursing homes.
- negligent care provided to individuals that are in labour.
- misdiagnoses or delayed diagnoses in a range of different contexts, including cancer.
- negligent dental treatment.
- negligent application of laser eye treatment.
- the mismanagement of strokes.
- the mismanagement of peripheral vascular disease.
- the mismanagement of complex otological conditions including cholesteatoma.
- the mismanagement of complex gastroenterological conditions.
- the mismanagement of complex neurological symptoms.
Mass was recently appointed as junior counsel to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry by Baroness Hallett, Chair of the Inquiry. In this role, he utilises his clinical negligence experience at an Inquiry of national significance.
Personal Injury
Personal Injury
Mass has gained a broad range of experience acting in personal injury cases for both Claimants and Defendants. He regularly appears in the County Court in fast-track and multi-track cases. His work in this area covers a wide range of matters including product liability claims, workplace accidents, occupiers’ liability claims and Highways Act claims.
Mass has experience successfully representing individuals faced with allegations of fundamental dishonesty and representing multiple Claimants in the same set of proceedings. He is also well-versed in communicating via interpreters in relevant cases.
Mass is also a contributor to the chapter on General Damages within the APIL Personal Injury Law, Practice and Precedents Loose-leaf book.
Inquests & Inquiries
Inquests & Inquiries
Mass is regularly instructed to act in lengthy inquests on behalf of interested parties. He has appeared in the coroner’s courts in article 2 inquests and jury inquests.
Mass has acted in inquests exploring a wide range of issues. Amongst others, this includes inquests where questions of clinical negligence have arisen. Consequently, he is well-experienced in cross-examining medical experts. He has also previously been successful in persuading coroners to make a regulation 28 prevention of future deaths report in appropriate cases. Furthermore, he is also regularly asked to assist in civil claims arising out of the same set of facts explored at an inquest.
Mass has a proven track record of working well within teams and is currently instructed as junior counsel to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. Mass commenced work on the Inquiry’s very first module titled ‘Resilience and Preparedness’. This Module has heard evidence focussed on how prepared the UK was to respond to a pandemic.
Notable Inquests & Inquiries cases
UK Covid-19 Inquiry (2022 - ongoing)
In June 2022, Mass was appointed as junior counsel to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry by Baroness Hallett, Chair of the Inquiry. Mass commenced work on the Inquiry’s very first module titled ‘Resilience and Preparedness’. This Module has heard evidence focussed on how prepared the UK was to respond to a pandemic. For his work on this module, Mass was led by Hugo Keith KC (Lead Counsel to the Inquiry) and Kate Blackwell KC. Mass is also instructed to work on later Modules for the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
Inquest into the death of AD (2023)
Mass was instructed in this inquest to represent the family of a man who was died after a venous needle dislodged from his dialysis machine and caused him to lose a significant amount of blood. The dialysis machine alarm parameters were incorrectly set and so these failed to alert nursing staff to the dislodged venous needle. In this regard, the Coroner’s conclusion noted “The parameters to trigger the alarm had been set much lower than usual practise or policy on the unit”.
Inquest into the death of JF (2023)
Mass was instructed in this two-week jury inquest to represent the family of a man who was sectioned under s.2 of the Mental Health Act 1983 but nonetheless managed to abscond from hospital before jumping from a bridge and ending his life. The deceased had previously been assessed to have represented a suicide risk and a risk of absconding. Furthermore, he had previously successfully absconded on two separate occasions in the days leading up to his unfortunate death. The Jury returned a narrative conclusion which stated “[…] failures in information recording and sharing, and failures to provide appropriate staff to mitigate an accepted risk of absconding and self-harm contributed to his death.”
Inquest into the death of Leo Gradwell (2023)
Mass was instructed in this multi-day jury jury Inquest which investigated the death of a 14-year-old boy who died following a road traffic accident. The road traffic accident occurred shortly after the police commenced a pursuit of the vehicle that the deceased was travelling in. The Inquest explored questions around (a) the appropriateness of the police pursuit; (b) the adequacy of police communications in the build-up to the pursuit; and (c) the appropriateness of medical intervention following the collision. The inquest was the subject of significant press attention and was covered in national and regional press outlets.
Inquest into the death of Donald Miller (2022)
Mass was instructed in this multi-day inquest to represent the family of a man who died in a nursing home after he mistakenly pulled out his tracheostomy tube and staff were unable to re-insert it. The Coroner returned a narrative conclusion which noted that the deceased was discharged from hospital to a nursing home without the requirement for “one-to-one care [being] included in updated communications between agencies” and without “funding for it [being] in place”.
Inquest into the death of P (2022)
Mass was instructed in this inquest to represent the family of a lady with depressive order and psychotic symptoms who committed suicide during a period of overnight leave from hospital. The Coroner concluded that relevant risk assessments were compromised because there was a failure to consider that the deceased was “at an elevated risk of suicide” and her family were not informed of there being any risk of suicide.
Inquest into the death of Balford Glaister Foster (2022)
Mass was instructed in an inquest to represent the family of a man who died in hospital after being diagnosed as having sepsis and appendicitis. The coroner returned a narrative conclusion which included a comment that the deceased died “in part due to the late diagnosis”.
Inquest into the death of Stephen Verrall (2021)
Mass was instructed in this multi-day jury inquest to represent the family of a man who died after falling from the window of a nursing home. The jury returned a lengthy narrative conclusion which recognised that the deceased’s death was avoidable. The narrative included (amongst other things) the statement that “there was a failure to meet health and safety guidelines which the home had a responsibility to be aware of.” Furthermore, the coroner issued a regulation 28 prevention of future deaths report. The inquest was covered by various press outlets.
Public Law & Information Law
Public Law & Information Law
Mass spent the first two years of his practice at the Government Legal Department (‘GLD’) where he conducted advisory work for a wide range of government departments. He regularly worked with instructed panel counsel on judicial review claims, and he gained an array of experience drafting defences in such claims. He is a member of the Attorney General’s Junior Junior Scheme and welcomes instructions from clients across Government.
During his time at the GLD, Mass gained substantial experience advising on requests under the Environmental Information Regulations 2014 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Furthermore, Mass provided (recorded) information law training intended for lawyers across the GLD.
Since joining the self-employed Bar, Mass has continued to be instructed by government departments on matters related to public law and information law. Examples of such work include the provision of advice on the effects of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill (now an Act of Parliament) on existing domestic obligations, EU-derived obligations and obligations derived from international treaties. Additionally, Mass is currently instructed to provide ongoing advice on a forthcoming Bill due to be considered in Parliament.
In November 2021, Mass won a prize for his written work in a public law setting after he was declared as the winner of the inaugural Middle Temple Young Barristers Association (MTYBA) Rule of Law Essay Competition.
In June 2022, Mass was appointed as junior counsel to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry by Baroness Hallett, Chair of the Inquiry. Mass commenced work on the Inquiry’s very first module titled ‘Resilience and Preparedness’. This Module has heard evidence focussed on how prepared the UK was to respond to a pandemic.
Sports Law
Sports Law
Mass welcomes instructions in cases arising in a wide range of sporting contexts and he accepts direct-access instructions in suitable sports cases. He acts for sports clients performing at all levels of their respective sports and his clients include Premier League football players and their intermediaries. He welcomes instructions from players/athletes, managers, intermediaries, clubs and sporting bodies on a wide range of matters arising in a sporting or commercial context.
During his pupillage, Mass was exposed to various sporting cases where his supervisors were representing clients which included Premier League football clubs and a Formula One racing team. Following his pupillage and as sole counsel, Mass has since been instructed in multiple sports cases and has appeared on several occasions before Football Association (‘FA’) panels, including the FA Serious Case Panel and the FA Appeal Board.
Mass’s written work in this field has also been published by widely acclaimed sports law publications such as Law in Sport and Football Law. He is an FA qualified football coach, and prior to joining the Bar, he worked as a football coach for a Premier League Football Club. He is a keen sportsman himself, and as such, he is familiar with the rules of various other sports.
Notable Sports Law cases
Advising on a Premier League Transfer (2023)
Mass was instructed to advise Carlos Baleba’s team on his recent transfer from Lille Olympique Sporting Club, a top-flight French based football club, to Brighton and Hove Albion F.C, a football club playing in the English Premier League. The transfer was widely reported in the national and international press.
Advising a football player on liability arising from a dangerous tackle (2023)
Mass was asked to advise on the merits of bringing a civil claim after a dangerous football tackle caused the potential Claimant to suffer serious injuries (resulting in an admission to intensive care).
Advising spectators on liability arising after away fans infiltrated the area designated for home fans (2023)
Mass was asked to advise multiple football fans who visited the stadium of a Premier League Club but were injured after opposition fans infiltrated the area designated for home fans and started a fight.
Representing a football player charged with Assault on a Match Official (2022)
Mass was instructed to represent a football player charged with Assault against a match official. The matter was heard by the FA Serious Case Panel at first instance who found the player guilty of assault and (amongst other things) banned the player from all footballing activities for a period of 5 years. Mass represented the player on an appeal to the FA Appeal Board which overturned the decision. Mass successfully argued that the player was instead guilty of a lesser offence of ‘Improper conduct against a match official’ (to which he pleaded guilty). As a result, the player’s footballing ban was reduced from five years to just one year.
Representing a football club charged with playing an ineligible player (2022)
Mass represented a football club charged with playing an ineligible player in four different matches. Mass successfully argued that any charges relating to the first two games were time-barred and that mitigating circumstances relating to the third and fourth matches meant that any punishment should be minimal.
Representing a football player charged with multiple counts of improper conduct (2021)
Mass was instructed to represent a football player charged with (1) improper conduct aggravated by reference to a person’s colour and race; (2) improper conduct including foul and abusive language; (3) improper conduct including threatening behaviour. Following Mass’s early intervention in the matter the case was closed against his client without the need for a hearing.
Appointments
- Chair of Bridging the Bar (2020-present)
- Member of the Bar Council’s Race Working Group (2020-present)
- Steering group committee member of the 10,000 Black Interns Project (2021-present)
Memberships
- The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
- Personal Injury Bar Association (PIBA)
- Employment Bar Association (EBA)
- Constitutional and Administrative Law Association (ALBA)
- INQUEST
Instructing Mass Ndow-Njie
For more information please contact our clerks by calling +44 (0)20 7242 3555.
For help or advice please call +44 (0)20 7242 3555 or complete the form below
A member of the Clerking team will help you resolve your request.
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