Boyd Morwood

Introduction & Contact details

Since the inception of his practice Boyd has endeavoured to provide high quality advocacy and advisory services and is a specialist practitioner in the following fields:

• medical and healthcare law
• public law
• administrative law
• personal injury and associated fraud

Boyd commenced practice in London in 1996 and has appeared before Courts and Tribunals across the UK including High Court, Administrative Court, Court of Appeal and Privy Council. He accepts instructions from a wide range of private and public bodies in complex and challenging matters having pride in his ability to deal with legal and conceptual cross-over topics. Boyd is particularly experienced in matters of public import having been engaged by the Treasury Solicitor in 1996 to 1997 and worked an Assistant to the Lord Justices of Appeal.

By way of educational background Boyd achieved a First Class Dual Honours in Law and his skill and intellectual capacity have lead instructions to act in matters involving :

• actions in judicial review (including actions involving the State)
• inquests involving matters of public import
• actions for vulnerable individuals in judicial review proceedings
• class actions involving serious injury and the death of minors
• regular instructions in appellate proceedings
• conflict of laws (including interpretation of European and International Conventions/Interpretation of European Motor Insurers Agreements)
• Fatal Accident Act claims

Boyd is aware of the importance of interpersonal skills, the ability to work both independently and as part of team of skilled individuals.

Publications

‘Crash course in Low Velocity Impact claims’ New Law Journal 27th Jan 2006 p150–151
‘Restoring Disorder’ New Law Journal 8th Dec 2006 p1870–1871

Additional Information

Boyd has lectured on the Ethical and Personal Injury components of the  Bar Vocational Course, to solicitors, students and insurers.

Qualifications

• First Class Dual Honours Degree Law and Criminology
• University of Keele

Professional Associations

• ALBA
• NALA
• PIBA
• Procurement Lawyers Association

T:  0207 691 0016
E:  boyd.morwood@hardwicke.co.uk

Professional Discipline

Boyd has extensive experience of proceedings before Health Regulators. At present, Boyd is instructed to appear in a number of long running and complex cases raising clinical competence issues before the General Medical Council. As the mainstay of his practice, Boyd has developed this specialisation and is most regularly involved in cases of public import and sensitivity including:

• ethical misconduct
• sexual misconduct
• criminal misconduct
• clinical competence
• impairment by reason of health

Public Law

Judicial Review & Administrative Law Proceedings

Boyd has acted and advised in judicial review proceedings in a number of areas including interpretation of secondary legislation, human rights and exercise of state powers.

In the course of the last year Boyd has advised and acted on numerous occasions before the Administrative Court at the behest of the General Medical Council.

Court of Protection & Mental Capacity

Boyd accepts instructions for all matters heard by the Court of Protection, including questions of capacity and issues of welfare and property. He is familiar with article 5, article 8 and issues relating to residential care and mental health. He has experience of cases involving the Official Solicitor and other litigation friends.

Education

Boyd has experience of advising and representing individuals in claims and appeals relating to issues of school admissions, injury, special needs, equality and rights issues. In particular Boyd has an in depth knowledge of issues surrounding children diagnosed with ASD and ADHD.

Boyds sensitive handling of cases has meant that he has recently dealt with a number of claims relating to physical and sexual abuse of children where he has been able to steer the child and parent to a successful resolution.

Inquiries & Inquests

Boyd has a good deal of experience of coronial law including:

• acting in inquests
• advising and acting in numerous judicial review proceedings arising from coronial decisions

Boyd's work in this area has included inquests of public note including that convened to investigate the deaths of drivers and passengers killed in the Selby Rail Crash in 2001.

For work in the context of Fitness to Practice and Review proceedings see Professional Discipline and Regulation.

Public Procurement

Boyd has appeared before the Administrative Court acting in procurement matters involving applications for emergency interim relief (commercial freezing orders), permission and substantive hearings. Boyd has particular experience of providing advice, drafting and advocacy in matters involving:

• Project finance and NDC
• Regeneration schemes
• State aid and procurement

Boyd has been required to accept instructions in complex matters where turnaround of paperwork and representation has been expected within a 24 hour period.

Most recently Boyd has been instructed by a private company dealing with government grant funding for local regeneration schemes in defending a claim for £840,000 of grant aid. Boyd successfully resisted an application before the High Court for an interim freezing order and account (upheld on appeal).

Boyd has also recently appeared in a substantive permission and review hearing before the Administrative Court where the decision to award grant funding was challenged on grounds of abuse of power, abuse of process and legitimate expectation. Boyd successfully defended the claim. Judgment handed down on the 25th February 2011 is due to be reported. Although permission was granted the Court accepted the Defendants submissions that the application was wholly without merit and awarded costs in full against that party.

Social Housing

Boyd aims to provide commercial and practial advice and advocacy services to occupiers and owners of public sector accomodation and deals with all aspects of social housing including issues of homelessness, security of tenure, benefits issues, eviction, harassment and discrimination , nuisance and travellers rights.

Personal Injury

Boyd continues to accept instructions from a wide range of private individual and insurer clients on a national basis and has in depth experience in both Claimant and Defendant matters. Boyd's practice focuses consistently on personal injury actions of complexity falling into categories of:

• personal injury fraud;
• occupational accidents and disease;
• travel and tourism related claims.