At New Park Court Chambers, we do things a little differently. With a total of 74 barristers, including 13 King’s Counsel, our reach and influence stretches far beyond the bounds of our Circuit.
As a Tier 1 Set based in Leeds and Newcastle we are home to a number of high profile and nationally and internationally reputable Counsel.
Eleanor Fry deals with a broad range of complex and sensitive matters in the criminal and family jurisdictions and before regulatory / disciplinary tribunals, often with cross-jurisdictional aspects.
Eleanor’s criminal experience, as a junior alone, leading and/or led junior includes prosecution and defence and ranges from cases of fraud to violence, child cruelty, rape and other sexual assaults, attempts to pervert the course of justice, misconduct in a public office, operational cases involving allegations of serious organized crime, terrorism offences and murder / manslaughter.
Eleanor regularly prosecutes and defends in the Crown Court (as a junior alone, leading and led junior), in cases involving murder, manslaughter, causing death or serious injury by dangerous driving, rape and other sexual offences, misconduct in a public office, attempts to pervert the course of justice, dishonesty, violence including child cruelty, etc. Eleanor has prosecuted and defended in cases involving the defence of insanity and has conducted numerous complex, multi-handed operational and sensitive cases, involving medico-legal (including sleep), scientific, ballistic, telephone and financial experts, and children and other vulnerable witnesses. She also has experience of representing both sides in cases involving private prosecutions and regulatory offences.
Led junior, prosecuting the murder of a woman by her husband on their wedding night.
Led junior, prosecuting firearms offences and allegations of violence.
Led junior, defending in allegations of very serious violence towards a very young baby.
Defending in a large-scale drugs conspiracy involving the importation of millions of pounds worth of cocaine.
Defending in a 2-complainant rape trial involving recent offences – defendant acquitted of all rapes.
Defending in the case of a man who was acquitted (not guilty by reason of insanity) for an alleged sleepwalking-sleep-sex offence.
Led junior, prosecuting a multi-handed murder and violent disorder involving youth defendants and witnesses.
Since 2016, Eleanor has been instructed regularly by the General Medical Council to conduct GMC Investigation Committee hearings and fitness to practise, non-compliance and review hearings before the Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal Service. These proceedings have included expert evidence spanning numerous different medical fields, vulnerable witnesses, remote evidence, legal argument regarding the admissibility of material and have covered the following allegations (often combined):
Eleanor has experience of representing various IPs at inquest and PIR hearings, before juries and coroners sitting alone, including in cases involving complex expert medical evidence (pathology, psychiatry, endocrinology, emergency medical, renal, trauma surgery, cardiology, etc.) and other expert evidence (toxicology, engineering, psychology, etc.) and evidence on police and prison systems and procedures. Eleanor has experience of drafting submissions on the engagement of Article 2, the scope of the inquest, the conclusions to leave to a jury, the making of prevention of future death notices, etc.
Death in custody – jury inquest – suicide – represented a detention officer whose actions were ultimately not considered on the evidence to have contributed to the death.
Death in local authority foster care – Article 2 was ruled engaged – a rare inquest involving anonymity arguments regarding the deceased – representation of the family of a teenager who died on her first night in foster care having been removed from her family against her will.
Death of a pensioner, killed by police van parked in local park – representation of the family – Article 2 was ruled engaged.
RTC death in high-speed police pursuit – Jury inquest – Article 2 engaged – narrative conclusion and PFD report.
Drafting submissions for and representation at PIRH – Death of a young care leaver, following placement in care as an unaccompanied asylum seeker.
Death – accident – tramadol toxicity.
Article 2 engaged – jury inquest – Unlawful killing in neighbour dispute.
Death in prison – jury inquest – suicide – narrative conclusion and PFD report.
Inquest relating to a road traffic collision following a police pursuit.
Eleanor regularly appears in applications in the High Court or on behalf of parents, children and local authorities in the Family Court in private and public law proceedings under the Children Act 1989.
Relevant Experience
Representing the mother in lengthy care proceedings involving allegations of sexual abuse and failure to protect. This case involved psychological and independent social work experts.
Representing the father in care proceedings involving fractures to a 7 month old baby. The case involved expert evidence from a paediatric haematologist, radiologist, orthopaedic/trauma surgeon and a paediatrician. No findings were made against the father. Reunification was ordered.
Representing the mother facing serious allegations of violence in a case involving multiple fractures to a young baby. This case involved expert evidence from a paediatrician, paediatric radiologist, paediatric orthopaedic surgeon, paediatric haematologist and geneticist and the significant cross-examination of a social work practitioner upon whose erroneous report serious findings could have been made. No findings were made against the mother. The children were placed in her care.
Representing the father. Wardship proceedings in the High Court became care proceedings following return of the children from abroad. The case involved allegations of serious emotional harm caused by parental alienation. Several experts were involved and needed to be cross-examined.
Representing a mother alleged to be in the pool of perpetrators in care proceedings involving multiple fractures, bruising and a pneumothorax to a very young baby. No findings were made against the mother and the child was returned to her care.
Representing the intervenor in a case involving allegations of rape and other sexual abuse by him upon the child. No findings of rape were made.
Representing the local authority in care proceedings involving serious burns to a child. Findings were made against a parent and other carers were released from the pool of perpetrators.
Representing the mother in care proceedings involving skull fractures to a toddler where the mother was in the initial pool of perpetrators. No findings were made against the mother.
New Park Court Chambers strengthens its national reputation once again as the…
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