Joanna Hughes

Profile

Jo enjoys a busy and diverse general common law practice that takes her all over the country. She specialises in personal injury litigation and regularly acts for Claimants and Defendants in an advisory and representative capacity. Jo has developed substantial experience in dealing with disputes arising out of road traffic accidents in particular credit hire litigation, low velocity impact cases and cases where insurance fraud is alleged. Jo also has experience of dealing with cases involving Employer's Liability, Occupier's Liability and the Highways Act 1980. She is willing to accept instructions on a CFA basis.

Jo has a keen interest in employment law and is committed to further developing this area of her practice. Jo regularly appears in the Employment Tribunal instructed by both Claimants and Respondents from the private and public sectors and has also appeared in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Her practice covers unfair and wrongful dismissal, redundancy, TUPE and discrimination including claims brought under the Equality Act 2010.

Jo also practises in the field of public law. Throughout 2011 she was instructed as Junior Counsel to the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Inquiry. This Public Inquiry was tasked with examining the role of the commissioning, supervisory, and regulatory bodies and systems in the NHS in detecting and correcting deficiencies in service provision, with a view to identifying how failing or potentially failing hospitals could be identified in the future. As a consequence of this work Jo has an excellent working knowledge of the NHS which often proves invaluable when acting for NHS employers in the Employment Tribunal.

Before coming to the Bar Jo was employed by a voluntary sector organisation working with drug users within the criminal justice system. Her experiences working in this field means she is particularly well-placed to deal with vulnerable or distressed clients.

Practice areas

• Coroners & Inquests
• Credit Hire
• Employment
• Insurance
• Personal Injury & Fatal Accidents
• Public Law