Public law produces an exciting range of issues at the Bar, a sense that must have rung true for Oliver Sanders KC last year, who handled three of 2022’s most prominent proceedings. The One Crown Office Row barrister spent the start of last year injuncting the BBC on national security grounds over its story about an MI5 agent allegedly abusing a former partner. He then acted as counsel in the inquests into the Guildford Pub bombing, which ended in July.
Perhaps most notably, however, was his work in the autumn on the inquest into the death of teenager Molly Russell, who committed suicide in 2017. Accustomed to high-profile matters, Sanders typically acts for the UK Government, making it easier to fly under the radar. Acting for Molly’s family, however, was a different story. The silk made headlines for his hard-hitting cross-examination of executives from Meta and Pinterest, after the 14-year-old viewed thousands of images relating to depression, self-harm and suicide on their sites. This led the inquest to conclude she had suffered negative effects from the content, with the case since forming the backdrop to the UK Government’s Online Safety Bill.