Inquiry Chair
Her Honour Judge Sarah Munro KC
Her Honour Judge Sarah Munro KC was called to the Bar by Inner Temple in 1984. She practised on the Western Circuit from Walnut House Chambers, specialising in criminal work, including homicide, serious fraud, serious sexual offences, and drug offences including importation. She also conducted prosecutions for HM Revenue and Customs. Sitting as an Assistant Coroner for East London, she held the inquests into deaths of four victims who were murdered by Stephen Port. She was also the first person to deliver televised sentencing remarks.
HHJ Munro KC was appointed a Crown Court Recorder in 1998, Queen’s Counsel in 2002, a Circuit Judge in 2011 and a Senior Circuit Judge at the Central Criminal Court in 2017. She has also served as a judicial member of the Sentencing Council.
Counsel Team
Sophie Cartwright KC: Counsel to the Inquiry
Sophie Cartwright KC was called to the Bar in 1998 following a criminal pupillage. Sophie previously acted as Counsel to the Manchester Arena Inquiry and the Anthony Grainger Inquiry. Sophie is one of the KC team of Counsel to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
Sophie specialises in public inquiries, inquests (including regularly acting as Counsel to the Inquest), public law, regulatory and disciplinary proceedings. Sophie is Co-Chair of the Greater Manchester Pro Bono Committee; the Northern Circuit Pro Bono representative and a member of the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee. Sophie sits as a Recorder in the Crown Court and as an Assistant Coroner. Sophie is a Master of the Bench at Inner Temple.
Juliet Wells
Juliet Wells is a barrister at Temple Garden Chambers. She is a member of the Attorney General’s ‘C’ Panel of Counsel. Juliet specialises in human rights, public law, inquests and public inquiries, commercial law, and international law. She has considerable experience of acting in heavy group litigation and large-scale inquests and inquiries, including acting in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and for the families of the victims of the mass shooting in Keyham, Plymouth.
Megan Millar
Megan Millar is a barrister at 6KBW College Hill. Megan specialises in public law, crime and public inquiries and has particular experience of issues where these areas of law intersect. She undertakes a wide variety of criminal work and is instructed on behalf of the prosecution and the defence in the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal. She also has experience of representing the Crown Prosecution Service in judicial review proceedings. Megan is also instructed as junior counsel to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, focused on the action taken against subpostmasters by the Post Office.
Solicitor to the Inquiry
Farhana Rahman-Cook
As the Solicitor to the Inquiry, Farhana will be advising on legal and procedural issues.
Farhana qualified in 2002 and specialised in criminal defence, becoming Equity Partner and Department Head at an established criminal defence firm. She joined the Crown Prosecution Service’s Proceeds of Crime Department as a District Crown Prosecutor in 2018.
Farhana has held key roles in other independent inquiries. She joined the DHSC Infected Blood Inquiry team as a Senior Lawyer representing the Department, which is a Core Participant. In 2023 she joined the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry as a phase lead. She has represented witnesses at the Iraqi Fatality Investigation. Farhana is also a judicial officer holder on two tribunals.
Secretary to the Inquiry
Clare Toogood
As Secretary to the Inquiry, Clare’s role is to report to the Chair and act as the main contact between the Inquiry and the Ministry of Justice. Clare works to and for the Inquiry and it is her job to assist the Inquiry in whatever way necessary to fulfil the Terms of Reference. Clare is also responsible for the wider Inquiry team.
Clare is an experienced Senior Civil Servant and has worked in a variety of policy and operational roles across the Ministry of Justice, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the Crown Prosecution Service and in Local Government.