Rose Harvey-Sullivan
Year of call
2015
Memberships
- Court of Protection Bar Association
- Inquest Lawyers Group
- Personal Injury Bar Association
- Young Legal Aid Lawyers
- Family Law Bar Association
Instructing Rose Harvey-Sullivan
For more information please contact our clerks by calling +44 (0)20 7242 3555.
Rose Harvey-Sullivan enjoys a busy practice encompassing a range of chambers’ specialities including clinical negligence, inquests, mental capacity (Court of Protection) and mental health, personal injury and human rights, particularly in relation to claims involving local authorities. She is ranked as a Rising Star in the Legal 500 directory, 2023 and 2024 editions.
Having a multi-disciplinary practice means that Rose often brings additional perspectives and expertise to a particular instruction, to the benefit of her client. She has particular experience of working with and for vulnerable clients, and is adept at dealing sensitively with clients who lack capacity, have disabilities, or are experiencing significant mental ill-health.
Clients have commented that ‘her cross-examination skills were simply brilliant… She gave us realistic expectations and we believe that we would not have won our case without her’. Rose’s advocacy has been praised by judges as ‘clear and confident… she courageously and attractively advanced her cause’. Solicitors have further stated that Rose is ‘fantastic to work with… she has always been well prepared for hearings and clients have commented on how at ease she has made them feel’.
In 2021, Rose was nominated for the Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year. She currently volunteers for Advocate as a case reviewer and takes certain cases on a pro bono basis.
Rose is a General Editor and Contributor of Coroners’ Inquests and Investigations, published in March 2021 by LexisNexis. She is also co-author of the Inquests and Court of Protection chapters in the APIL Personal Injury: Law, Practice and Precedents Service, and co-author of the Court of Protection chapter in the Butterworths Personal Injury Litigation Service looseleaf.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Rose studied English Literature at Queens’ College, Cambridge, and worked in prison reform in Bangladesh for the German government’s development agency.
Rose is qualified to accept instructions directly from clients and is registered under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme, meaning that members of the public who seek specialist advice can come direct to her (via her clerks). In addition, she welcomes instructions from solicitors, in-house law departments, qualified foreign lawyers, and clients licensed by the Bar Council to give instructions direct to barristers under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme. For more information please visit our Direct Access page here.
Legal Expertise
Personal Injury
Personal Injury
Rose regularly represents both claimants and defendants in fast track and multi-track trials and hearings in the County and High Courts and has a wealth of advocacy experience in these contexts. She has conducted trials in a variety of employers’, occupiers’ and product liability matters, and has a busy paperwork practice.
Rose is ranked as a Rising Star in the Legal 500 directory, 2023 and 2024 editions, where she is described as having ‘very good medical knowledge and understanding of medical issues. She is able to deal confidently and authoritatively with experts… to a higher degree than her call would suggest’.
Rose is routinely instructed as a junior in very high value or complex personal injury cases, cases involving individuals who were in state detention / care at the time they incurred their injuries, and cases involving both personal injury and alleged human rights breaches. Her experience in public family law lends itself to cases involving allegations against Local Authorities in respect of children who were in care.
Rose regularly acts for victims of modern slavery in claims for personal injury, unpaid wages, breach of human rights and assault against their former employers. For instance in April 2021, she and James Robottom obtained substantial settlements for two clients against companies after securing freezing injunctions against the defendants and their associated companies in the High Court (https://athub.org.uk/knowledge-base/blogs-compensation/#human-trafficking-survivors-settle-claims-after-successful-freezing-injunction-application).
As a result of Rose’s experience in the Court of Protection she is particularly adept at representing and advising clients who lack capacity and is alive to the sensitivities and additional considerations such claims can bring.
Rose also advises both claimants and defendants on civil and human rights claims for damages in respect of unlawful detentions under the Mental Health Act. Rose has also previously advised in this capacity under the comparable Jersey law.
Clinical Negligence
Clinical Negligence
Rose is ranked as a Tier 1 Rising Star in the field of Clinical Negligence in the Legal 500, 2023 and 2024 editions: ‘Rose has very good medical knowledge and understanding of medical issues. She is able to deal confidently and authoritatively with experts… to a higher degree than her call would suggest’.
Rose frequently acts in linked clinical negligence and inquest proceedings on behalf of families; she is particularly experienced in inquest matters and is a General Editor and co-contributor of Coroners’ Inquests and Investigations, published in March 2021 by LexisNexis (https://tinyurl.com/vytkbbfc).
Rose has a particular interest in mental health and disability, and is often instructed to act in claims where the client has physical/learning disabilities or serious mental health issues. Rose’s experience in the Court of Protection lends itself to the representation of clients who lack capacity. She is alive to the sensitivities and additional considerations such claims can bring.
As well as conducting her own negligence claims on a routine basis, Rose is frequently instructed as a junior in very high value or complex claims involving catastrophic injuries.
Recent cases have involved failures to provide adequate mental health care in clinical and community settings; mismanagement of care for individuals with significant learning disabilities; negligence in maternity care and during the delivery of babies; cerebral palsy claims; misdiagnosis and mismanagement of cancer; and negligent surgery to all areas of the body, including hips, wrists and knees.
Rose has previously been seconded to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, where she prosecuted Fitness to Practice trials.
Rose also advises both claimants and defendants on civil claims for damages in respect of unlawful detentions under the Mental Health Act. She has also previously advised in this capacity under the comparable Jersey law.
Public Law
Public Law
Rose accepts instructions to work on public inquiries. In 2018-2019, she worked as junior counsel to the Grenfell Inquiry. Here, she took an active role as part of a small team of counsel assisting in preparing and calling evidence from survivors and relatives, and drafted the report during phase one of the Inquiry.
Rose also advises and represents clients in respect of judicial reviews that arise in other areas of her practice. For instance, Rose has advised family members as to the options for judicially reviewing decisions taken by NHS Trusts not to treat particular patients. She has also advised on judicial review in respect of various decisions taken by Local Authorities as part of care proceedings.
Rose also advises and represents clients in respect of claims involving breaches of human rights, such as the wrongful commencement of care proceedings or wrongful changes to education and care packages.
Rose regularly acts for victims of modern slavery in claims for personal injury, unpaid wages, breaches of human rights and assaults against their former employers. For instance in April 2021, she and James Robottom obtained substantial settlements for two clients against companies after securing freezing injunctions against the defendants and their associated companies in the High Court (https://athub.org.uk/knowledge-base/blogs-compensation/#human-trafficking-survivors-settle-claims-after-successful-freezing-injunction-application).
Court of Protection
Court of Protection
Rose has a particular interest in the Court of Protection and has established a busy practice in this area. She is instructed on behalf of protected parties, wider family members, a range of Local Authorities, and NHS bodies. Rose routinely acts on behalf of P through the Official Solicitor. She also receives instruction in cases invoking the inherent jurisdiction in respect of children with special needs, and Rose is particularly adept at representing young people in Court of Protection proceedings as a result of her family court experience.
Rose also advises both claimants and defendants on civil claims for damages in respect of unlawful detentions under the Mental Health Act. Rose has also previously advised in this capacity under the comparable Jersey law.
Rose’s experience in clinical negligence (often involving people with disabilities) lends itself to Court of Protection work involving complex medical issues. She is ranked as a tier 1 rising star in Clinical Negligence in the Legal 500, 2023 and 2024 editions, which states ‘Rose has very good medical knowledge and understanding of medical issues. She is able to deal confidently and authoritatively with experts… to a higher degree than her call would suggest’.
Rose is a member of the Court of Protection Bar Association.
Inquests & Inquiries
Inquests & Inquiries
Inquests are a major part of Rose’s practice. She has particular experience in inquests involving mental health or disability issues, especially learning disabilities. Rose also routinely represents families who have lost a baby during childbirth.
Rose has an established clinical negligence practice and is ranked as a Tier 1 Rising Star in the Legal 500, 2023 and 2024 editions, in this area; many of her cases arise from inquests into deaths in medical settings. Comments include: ‘Rose has very good medical knowledge and understanding of medical issues. She is able to deal confidently and authoritatively with experts… to a higher degree than her call would suggest’. As such, Rose is well positioned to represent families in medical inquests.
Rose’s Court of Protection and public family law work means she has particular experience of working with individuals with learning or physical disabilities, and mental health difficulties, and is familiar with what kinds of public support should have been available to someone dealing with such issues. This is often of particular assistance in inquests into the deaths of individuals with disabilities or mental health problems.
Rose routinely represents the families of those who died in custody, including in prison; her previous experience working in prison reform is of assistance in this regard.
Rose is a General Editor and Contributor of Coroners’ Inquests and Investigations, published in March 2021 by LexisNexis (https://tinyurl.com/vytkbbfc).
Rose regularly accepts pro bono instructions through INQUEST and Advocate.
Through 2018 and 2019, Rose was instructed as junior counsel to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. She took an active role as part of a small team of counsel assisting in preparing and calling evidence from survivors and relatives, and drafted the report during phase one of the Inquiry. She continues to accept instructions in respect of public inquiries.
Modern Slavery & Anti-Trafficking
Modern Slavery & Anti-Trafficking
Rose is experienced in all aspects of civil anti-trafficking and modern slavery claims, in particular compensation claims. These include CICA claims, and claims for personal injury, lost earnings, breach of contract, breach of human rights and assault against former employers/traffickers. She routinely accepts instructions through solicitors and charities, such as ATLEU.
In 2021, James Robottom and Rose obtained substantial settlements for two clients against companies after securing freezing injunctions against the defendants and their associated companies in the High Court (https://athub.org.uk/knowledge-base/blogs-compensation/#human-trafficking-survivors-settle-claims-after-successful-freezing-injunction-application). Rose conducted a detailed search into the claimants’ former employers and their companies, and identified a number of ways in which they had attempted to hide assets; this led to the successful application for the freezing injunctions.
Rose has previously worked in both employment and criminal law, and her experience feeds helpfully into her modern slavery work as she is able to quickly assimilate and utilise evidence obtained through other proceedings to her clients’ advantage.
Rose’s work in the Court of Protection and in personal injury/clinical negligence with clients with mental health difficulties means that she is well placed to work empathetically and sensitively with vulnerable victims in modern slavery cases who may have experienced trauma.
Rose considers pro bono instructions in certain cases; please contact her clerks for more details.
Memberships
- Court of Protection Bar Association
- Inquest Lawyers Group
- Personal Injury Bar Association
- Young Legal Aid Lawyers
- Family Law Bar Association
Instructing Rose Harvey-Sullivan
For more information please contact our clerks by calling +44 (0)20 7242 3555.
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