John McKendrick QC acts for NHS trust in High Court Jehovah’s Witness case

John McKendrick QC is currently acting in the High Court, London for an NHS trust responsible for the treatment of a 17 year-old Jehovah’s Witness.

The boy, who has leukaemia and who lives in the south east of England, has refused potentially life-saving blood product treatment for his condition, because of his religious beliefs.

NHS trust doctors are respecting the boy’s views and doctors are not treating him with blood products.

Lead barrister for the trust, John McKendrick QC said that the boy had refused to consent to treatment involving “blood products” and that the teenager was “extremely articulate about his Jehovah’s Witness faith”.

John regularly appears before the Administrative Court, Court of Protection, Family Division, the Tribunal system and the Court of Session. He is particularly experienced in the fields of mental capacity, mental health, financial services, prisons, procurement, and education law.

Prior to taking silk, John was, uniquely, a member of the Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel and standing junior counsel to the Scottish Advocate General. He carries out a significant amount of property and affairs and welfare work in the Court of Protection, where he has been involved in many of the landmark cases determining capacity, deprivation of liberty and serious medical treatment.

BBC coverage on this case may be found here.

John McKendrick QC is instructed by John Holmes, Partner, at Hempsons.

News 7 Jun, 2019