Caleb Bawdon
Associate solicitor
Caleb is an associate solicitor in the human rights department
Caleb is an associate solicitor in Merry Varney’s team in the human rights department. He works on a varied caseload, including inquests, Human Rights Act claims, and judicial reviews.
Caleb specialises in acting for bereaved families in inquest proceedings, often in the context of mental health and social care related deaths. He has a particular interest in cases involving online harms. Caleb also regularly acts in civil claims under the Human Rights Act and in negligence, and in judicial review challenges of Coroner’s decisions. He also acts in applications to the High Court under s.13 Coroners Act 1988 for a second inquest. Most of Caleb’s work is funded by legal aid.
Caleb was a member of the legal team winning the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards, for his role in acting for the family of 14-year old Molly Russell. The inquest into Molly’s death is believed to be the first in which tech giants Meta and Pinterest participated as Interested Persons. The Coroner made the ground-breaking conclusion that Molly’s death was contributed to by the negative effects of online content.
Caleb has worked in Merry Varney’s team since February 2021 when he joined as a paralegal. Caleb qualified as a solicitor in November 2023. Before joining Leigh Day, Caleb was a paralegal in the actions against the police/public law Department of Imran Khan and Partners Solicitors.
Accreditations
Coroner calls for government departments to take ownership of suicide risk from poisonous substance after inquest into the death of 22-year-old Hannah Aitken
An inquest into the death of 22-year-old Hannah Aitken has found that she died on 14 September 2023 at her supported living accommodation for people with autism in Surrey after taking a poisonous substance which she ordered online from abroad.
Families represented at Lampard Inquiry by Leigh Day human rights lawyers
Families who are demanding urgent change to mental health services following the deaths of their loved ones while in the care of Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) will have their voices heard at the Lampard Inquiry.
Inquest finds disjointed care and poor coordination between care providers contributed to Nottinghamshire woman's death at 22
An inquest into the death of 22-year-old Beth Langton has found that poor co-ordination between the agencies responsible for her care contributed to her decision to take her own life at her supported living accommodation.