Specialist Team Representing Article 39

Oliver Studdert and Katie Wilkins in our Public and Human Rights Law team are representing Article 39, in Module 8 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. This module will explore the profound impact of the pandemic on children and young people.

Article 39 is a children’s rights charity and is a core participant in Module 8. Article 39 is particularly concerned with how the pandemic affected the most vulnerable children in society, including children in the care of the state, in contact with the immigration system or in custody.

In opening submissions made on behalf of Article 39 on 29 September 2025, it was noted that: “If we do not have the structures and systems to uphold rights, to elicit, understand, and act upon the views, perspectives, and feelings of children, then that is when things go wrong.  And if they go wrong for vulnerable children, the consequences can be disastrous.”

The inquiry hearings will run from 29 September to 24 October 2025 and the Irwin Mitchell team have instructed Mark Twomey KC of Coram Chambers and Mary-Rachel McCabe of Doughty Street Chambers.

Oliver Studdert, a Partner at Irwin Mitchell said: "The pandemic not only exposed but, in many cases, deepened existing inequalities and systemic failures in the protection of children. In this module of the Covid Inquiry, Article 39 aims to highlight the impact of the pandemic on the rights and wellbeing of children in care and institutional settings.”

Katie Wilkins, an Associate Solicitor in our Public and Human Rights law team said: "Public inquiries are an important opportunity for decisions to be scrutinised. We hope that through the inquiry the impact of the pandemic and related policy decisions affecting children will be better understood, and above all lessons learned.”

Carolyne Willow of Article 39 said: “Many thousands of highly vulnerable children and young people were deeply affected by the actions and inactions of government before and during the pandemic, from the loss of vital legal protections for children entering care for the first time as well as for those already in care, to the normalisation of solitary confinement and denial of family contact and education in child prisons, to children having to stay in mental health inpatient care due to the lack of suitable community facilities.

The pandemic laid bare the very low political priority given to children’s rights in ordinary times, with nearly every public service for children and young people already struggling to meet high levels of need.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell’s public inquiry work.

Article 39’s UK Covid-19 Inquiry webpage can be found here: UK Covid-19 Inquiry | Article 39