Janine Wolstenholme

janine-wolstenholme-barrister
Year of call:

2002

Education:

2001 - LLB (Hons) (2:1)

2002 - BVC (VC)

2005 - QLTT (A)

2006 - MA (Merit)

Career:

2002 - In-house lawyer

2007 - Pupillage and Tenancy, Manchester

2010 - Joined Sovereign Chambers, Leeds

2015 - Sovereign Chambers becomes Park Square Barristers

Appointments:

2023 - North Eastern Circuit Education Committee

2021 - Assistant Coroner for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen

2021 - Junior Counsel to the Crown (Panel A) (“Treasury Counsel”) regional civil panel

2018 - Assistant Coroner for West Yorkshire (Eastern)

2012 - Chair of Education Admission Appeals Panel

2011 - Lay-member of Education Admission Appeals Panel

2010 - Junior Counsel to the Crown (Panel B) (“Treasury Counsel”) regional civil panel

Memberships:

North Eastern Circuit

Personal Injuries Bar Association

Middle Temple

Awards:

2000 - DLA Commercial Law Prize

2000 - Nabarro Nathanson Mooting Prize

2001 - Taylor Emmet Property Law Prize

Janine Wolstenholme is an experienced advocate.  She undertakes advisory, drafting and advocacy work, across all aspects of casualty litigation.  Clients enjoy a high level of service and particularly appreciate her forensic, holistic and tactical approach.

Janine Wolstenholme has many years’ experience in casualty work acting for Claimants and Defendants.  Her practice includes injury, both bodily and psychiatric, and consequential loss arising out of clinical negligence, personal injury, employers’ liability, disease, occupiers’ liability, highways, product liability, accidents abroad, and motor claims (including MIB).  She has a genuine and long-standing interest in claims involving secondary victims and nervous shock having completed her undergraduate dissertation in this field.

She has experience of low value claims through to large loss actions following surgery (emergency, orthopaedic/routine and cosmetic), inadequate post-surgery care and treatment, delayed and failed diagnosis, neglect, as well as claims involving compulsory detention and mental health.  Janine has a particular interest in incidents resulting in loss of life, particularly those concerning children, protected and vulnerable parties.

She undertakes work at all stages from initial advice through to JSMs and trial, including inquests (coroner and jury), and fully contested multi-track trials and appeals lasting several days in the High Court.

A significant proportion of Janine’s current practice includes acting for NHSLAs, insurers, local government and, since her appointment as Junior Counsel to the Crown, Regional Civil Panel, in 2010, she is regularly instructed by the Crown and various State departments, both ministerial and non-ministerial.

Janine accordingly has an acute understanding of the wider, potentially lasting, implications that may arise in any given case, whether it relates to policy or because of political and media interest and scrutiny and approaches every case with such matters in mind.

Janine has a significant coronial practice and is accordingly able to offer continuity of service from a very early stage in proceedings and across jurisdictions.

Experience includes, for example:

  • Instructed to defend a claim for damages arising out of the baby ashes scandal.
  • Defending a claim for damages (pleaded up to £5m) for psychiatric injury and associated losses (including loss of business) following alleged misfeasance in public office and malpractice.
  • Defending a claim for judicial review, brought against a coroner, for his refusal to conduct an Article 2 inquest and sit with a jury, in respect of the death of a very young child who passed away having developed septicaemia.

Janine has a nationwide practice and is happy to travel to accommodate her clients’ needs, as well as deliver training and seminars to clients at their premises.

Public Access

Janine may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Contact Janine’s clerks

Senior Clerk – Andy Reeves on 0113 213 5252

Talia Webster on 0113 202 8609

Joshua Duree on 0113 213 5246

Mike Alexander on 0113 2135268

Ben Ellison-Tope on 0113 2135207