• London Borough of Hackney v A & Others [2024] EWCOP 33: Sophy acted for the Official Solicitor in an urgent application for location and collection orders in relation to a young man who had been removed from his placement and who could not be found. An extempore judgment provided guidance about enforcement in the Court of Protection.

• Esper v NHS NW London ICB (Appeal: Anonymity in Committal Proceedings), Re (Rev1) [2023] EWCOP 29: Sophy acted for the Official Solicitor in this case, in which Poole J gave guidance as to when a party who is in contempt of court should be publicly named.

• AR v West London NHS Trust and the Secretary of State for Justice [2020] UKUT 273 AAC: Sophy acted for AR in his successful appeal against a decision that a person lacking capacity cannot be permitted a public hearing in the Mental Health Tribunal.

• Re D (A Young Man) [2020] EWCOP 1: Sophy acted for the mother of D in one of the few reported cases on the test for permission in the Court of Protection.

• VS v St Andrews Healthcare [2018] UKUT 250 (AAC): Sophy acted for the appellant in an Upper Tribunal case that gave guidance on the test for capacity to apply to the Mental Health Tribunal.

• Welsh Minsters v PJ [2018] UKSC 66: Sophy was led by DSC’s Aswini Weereratne alongside Gemma Daly, appearing for Mind as intervenor. Mind supported PJ’s successful argument that conditions attached to a community treatment order (CTO) cannot lawfully deprive a person of his or her liberty.

• E (A Child) [2018] EWCA Civ 550: Sophy was led by Stephen Knafler QC alongside Leon Glenister, acting for the parents of a severely ill toddler in an appeal against declarations that continued life-sustaining treatment was not in the child’s best interests.

• N v ACCG [2017] UKSC 22: Sophy was led by DSC’s Aswini Weereratne QC, acting for the mother of a young man with severe physical and learning disabilities, where the Supreme Court considered the role and powers of the Court of Protection.

• R (C ) v (1) First Tier Tribunal, (2) Tribunal Procedure Committee and (3) The Lord Chancellor [2016] EWHC 707 (Admin): Sophy established that the First Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) had the power to appoint a litigation friend for C, who lacked capacity to conduct his case before the Tribunal as a result of severe mental illness. 

• P v A Local Authority [2015] EWCOP 89: Sophy acted in a successful challenge to a standard authorization.

• Hillingdon v Neary [2011] EWHC 1377 (COP): Sophy was the solicitor for the Official Solicitor who successfully argued for findings that Steven Neary’s rights under Articles 5 and 8 of the Human Rights Act were violated by the local authority.

• JE v DE and others [2006] EWHC 3459 (Fam): Sophy was the solicitor for the applicant in this seminal case about the rights of an incapacitated man in a nursing home under Article 5 of the Human Rights Act.

Inquest touching on the death of Jake Baker, Woking Coroner’s Court, 2023: Sophy acted for the family of Jake Baker, who died at the age of 18. The Coroner found that failings by the local authority and the residential college where Jake lived caused Jake’s death, which was contributed to by neglect.

Inquest touching on the death of Donna Neill, Walthamstow Coroner’s Court, 2022: Sophy acted for the family of Donna Neill. The Coroner found failings on behalf of the local authority and Mental Health Trust and that neglect contributed to Donna’s death. A civil claim has been settled.

Inquest touching on the death of Gaia Pope, Bournemouth Coroner’s Court, 2022: Sophy was led by Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC acting for the family of Gaia Pope. A jury found that failings by mental health services possibly contributed to the death of Gaia Pope, who died at the age of 19.

Inquest touching upon the death of Shannon Quinn, Black Country Coroner’s Court, 2019: Shannon Quinn took her own life in a care home run by Camino Healthcare. Sophy represented her family at an inquest in which the Coroner reached a conclusion of misadventure, contributed to by neglect.  

Inquest touching upon the death of Sasha Forster, Winchester Coroner’s Court, 2019: Sophy acted for the family of Sasha Forster in a four-week inquest involving three NHS bodies and two police forces. The jury’s conclusion was suicide and the Coroner issued three separate reports for the prevention of future deaths.

Inquest touching upon the death of Emily Inglis, Milford Haven Coroner’s Court, 2019: Sophy acted for the family of Emily Inglis, who took her own life whilst detained under the Mental Health Act. The jury’s conclusion was misadventure, and the Coroner issued a report for the prevention of future deaths.

Inquest touching upon the death of Heddwyn Hughes, Milford Haven Coroner’s Court, 2018: Heddwyn Hughes had severe learning disabilities and died after his neck was broken in the care home where he lived. Sophy acted for his family at the inquest in which the jury found failings in his care.

Sophy was accredited as a mediator in 2014 and is a registered mediator with the Civil Mediation Council.  She mediates in a range of issues including Court of Protection and public law cases.  She is a qualified community mediator.

Her approach to mediation is to ensure that all participants are truly heard, and her experience proves there is often the possibility of finding common ground in even the most intractable cases. 
 

Fee-paid Judge of the First Tier Tribunal (Mental Health) (appointed 2005).

Sophy sits part time as a nominated Judge of the Court of Protection (nominated 2020).

Sophy enjoys writing and  is a co-author of the Court of Protection Handbook, published by Legal Action Group in April 2014, 4th edition July 2019, and the Mental Health Tribunal Handbook, published by Legal Action Group in April 2015. She is a contributor to Lewis and Buchan: Clinical Negligence—A Practical Guide, Bloomsbury Professional Publications, September 2019.

Sophy is a regular writer for Legal Action magazine.

Sophy writes regularly for Doughty Street’s Legal Insights series. Click here to read her posts; topics considered by other authors can be found here.

Training

Sophy is an experienced trainer and has provided training to legal professionals, health and social care professionals and NGOs, in the UK and internationally.