Barrister
Called to the Bar 1985

Paula Clements practices in: Inquests and Coroners Law, Regulatory Law (including registrations), and Medical Law.

Paula Clements is a barrister with over 34 years of experience. Having practiced for many years in family law and education law, Paula moved into her current practice areas 10 years ago. She has developed a strong practice in Inquest Law and the many aspects of professional regulation, particularly for health care professionals.

INQUESTS AND CORONERS LAW

Paula Clements was drawn into this area of law for several reasons. For bereaved families due to their loss, it is a time of very high emotion. Paula has been able to bring her empathetic approach from her years of experience in the highly emotive area of family law to help, advise and guide families through the inquest process. For other interested persons, particularly health care professionals, due to her work in regulatory law Paula Clements has a good understanding of the issues and pressures faced daily in the NHS and by private health care services. Paula appreciates that a registered health care professional often has concerns about possible damage to their professional reputation, and whether there could be implications with their regulator caused by the inquest process Paula Clements travels to inquests throughout England and Wales dealing with Article 2 and domestic inquests, jury and coroner only inquests. Hearing lengths vary from up to one day to many weeks with multiple interested persons. Paula Clements has represented many different types of interested persons at inquests involving hospital or care home deaths, road traffic collisions, railway deaths, suicides, deaths in custody and at school. People who are not an interested person but have been requested to provide a witness statement or attend an inquest are able to seek advice from Paula to understand their position. Paula Clements advises and represents families, individuals and businesses like care homes. Her service covers the inquest process, evidence and likely outcomes from the start of the investigation through to advice on reports to prevent future death, Judicial Review or pursuing an application to get a fresh inquest.

REGULATORY LAW

Paula Clements defends a wide range of professionals before their professional regulatory body. She has considerable experience defending healthcare professionals at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Medical Professional Tribunals Service (for the doctors with GMC cases), and General Dental Council (GDC). The Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulates a large range of professionals from social workers to paramedics and clinical psychologists. Paula Clements is experienced in defending professionals before this regulator. Paula Clements was attracted to this specialist area of practice because she recognises how far-reaching the effects a finding of professional misconduct and impairment of fitness to practice can be on the reputation, career, income and family life of the professional who faces allegations. She has the experience to know that how a case is managed as it proceeds through the investigation process can materially affect the outcome.

Apart from individuals, businesses that come within the regulatory framework of the CQC or OFSTED can also suffer reputational damage and loss of business due to a poor inspection report or facing enforcement proceedings. A Care Home, GP Surgery or Registered Child Minder are within the vast range of providers covered by these regulators. Paula Clements can provide advice to businesses on the best ways to deal with governance and compliance issues raised by the regulator and legal representation at Care Standards Tribunal hearings.

Paula Clements undertakes general regulatory law work such as advice and assistance on issues with the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Paula Clements has a special interest in registration issues for health care professionals and clinicians, like veterinary surgeons. Her practice covers advice and assistance with first registration or specialist registration and appeals against refusal of registration for overseas clinicians. The process for registration can be complex. Paula Clements understands that in many cases there is a highly personal reason why an individual wants to practice in the UK, making the need to succeed high. Her practice in this area has developed as a result of recognising this and wanting to help individuals achieve their goal. For registration cases, Paula Clements can usually offer a pre-application advice service to identify the appropriate route into registration, problems and how to overcome them (if possible) and the information and evidence needed in order to make an application. The aim is to maximise the chance of a successful outcome on the first application for registration.

For those who have been registered with their UK regulator, Paula Clements will assist with advice and representation concerning applications for restoration to the register after lapse or erasure. For some professions, revalidation is required. If a professional is threatened with the loss of his licence or registration Paula Clements can help to present the written case to avoid this and can advise and provide representation at an appeal hearing.

Member of the Public Access Bar Association.

Member of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers.