Sunyana Sharma represents Maritime and Coastguard Agency in joint drowning inquest
2nd February 2024
3PB Barristers’ (3 Paper Buildings) specialist regulatory and inquest barrister Sunyana Sharma (pictured here) has represented the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in a joint inquest touching the deaths of 3 men who drowned off the coast of Cornwall following the relaxation of COVID lockdown in May, June and August 2020.
The issues considered by His Majesty’s Senior Coroner included the legal responsibility of maintaining beach safety, whether there was a legal duty for the provision of lifeguards on beaches across the UK and specifically Cornwall, what if any advanced warning had been given by the Government to the Council, MCA and RNLI before lockdown was relaxed in May 2020 and what mitigations had been put in place by multiple stakeholders when RNLI lifeguards were unable to lifeguard beaches during the COVID pandemic.
The conclusion reached following the deaths of all 3 men was one of ‘misadventure’.
The inquest was covered by a number of news outlets including The Guardian, BBC and Falmouth Packet.
Sunyana Sharma was instructed by Simon Belfield and Amanda Lea of DWF Law LLP.
Sunyana Sharma is a regulatory and inquest barrister, practicing in professional disciplinary work, maritime and fishing law, health and safety law and all areas of regulatory compliance and consumer protection. Sunyana sits as an Assistant Coroner for Hampshire, Southampton and Portsmouth and as a Deputy District Judge in Civil and Family law.
To instruct Sunyana, please contact Practice Director David Snook via email or telephone 020 7583 8055.