The Team
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| Peter Edwards (Director / Solicitor) View Profile |
Jolanta Edwards (Director / Solicitor) View Profile |
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| Catherine Pease (Solicitor) View Profile |
Stephen Beard (Solicitor) View Profile |
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| Jenny Oxton (Legal Executive) View Profile |
Annette Holmes (Civil Litigation Executive) View Profile |
Carolyn Hardaker (Practice Manager) View Profile |
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| Dave Sheppard (Non solicitor Consultant) View Profile |
Roger Hargreaves (Non Solicitor Consultant) View Profile |
PETER EDWARDS (Solicitor)
I am a Director of Peter Edwards Law and the Head of Civil Litigation and Private Client department. I have spent my professional life fighting for the rights of the vulnerable and those with mental health problems. In 2007 I was nominated as Mental Health Lawyer of the Year 2007. With Dave Sheppard, I run a training company called IMHL. I also provide training in universities, hospitals, local authorities indeed for anyone who feels the need to know more about all aspects of mental health and incapacity law. I am President of mental health charity; Imagine and I broadcast on radio and television. One of the high spots for me was being grilled by Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight over the Bournewood case.
I have held the following appointments in the past: Consultant to Solicitors Regulation Authority, Legal Consultant World Health Organisation, Law Society Chief Assessor Mental Health Review Tribunal Panel, President Mental Health Lawyers Association, Member of Central Policy Committee of Mental Health Act Commission, Vice Chair Law Society Mental Health and Disability Committee, Member NACRO Advisory Committee and Member of MIND Council of Management When not at work I love travelling and get lost in the high mountains.
Email: peter@peteredwardslaw.com
JOLA EDWARDS (Solicitor and Director)
I was born and educated in Poland where I read English and German at the ancient Jagiellonian University of Krakow. I then spent many years working in the travel and airline industry which took me to many corners of the world. Having finally conquered the travelling bug, I now thoroughly enjoy being a solicitor with particular interest in clients with learning disabilities and incapacity work.
For a number of years now, I have been representing patients detained in a number of hospitals across the North West and this work has provided me with a lot of inspiration to assist vulnerable people in asserting their basic human rights.
In my spare time I still criss-cross Europe on foot and on skis with the snowy peaks of Chamonix and the cobbled streets of Krakow remaining my all time favourite haunts. This year I almost got to the top of Mont Blanc only to be beaten by a bout of altitude sickness suffered by one of my climbing companions. Next time perhaps!?
Email: jola@peteredwardslaw.com
CATHERINE PEASE (Solicitor)
I obtained a 1st Class Honours degree in psychology before converting to law and qualifying as a solicitor in 2005, when I chose to specialise in mental health law.
The vast majority of my work involves advising detained patients as to their rights and providing representation at Mental Health Tribunals. I represent a range patients detained under both forensic and civil sections and with differing diagnoses, needs and abilities. I often advise older patients living in the community or detained in hospital, particularly those with a diagnosis of dementia who wish to retain their independence for as long as possible. In my spare time works with Age Concern on a voluntary basis.
I used to be based in our Hoylake office but I have now moved to the south of England and assists clients in and around London and Northampton area, in addition to advising and representing detained patients in Rampton high secure hospital in Nottinghamshire.
In my spare time I enjoy walking my dogs, cycling and learning to play the violin (badly!).
Email: catherinepease@peteredwardslaw.com
STEPHEN BEARD (Solicitor)
I graduated with a degree in Law from the University of Sheffield in 2006. I have worked at Peter Edwards Law since April 2008 in the Mental Health Tribunal Department. I have been representing clients at Tribunal and managers hearings since October 2008. In February 2009 I was thrilled to become a trainee solicitor with the firm as the final step on the road to me becoming a fully fledged solicitor. I also have primary responsibility for those clients of the firm based in hospitals in Wales. This is made more interesting because Wales has a different tribunal system and rules than England. I also represent clients in Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside. I always have to be conscious of which side of the border I am on!
Email: stephenbeard@peteredwardslaw.com
JENNY OXTON (A.Inst. L.Ex)
I have been working for Peter Edwards Law for 6 years. I started working here as a legal secretary and developed an interest in the area of law in which we specialise, in particular representing the more vulnerable clients. I therefore decided to go back to night school to study for my legal exams. I am now an Associate Member of the Institute of Legal Executives.
I have been working under the direction of Jola Edwards and I now have transferred to the Mental Health Tribunal department. I visit client’s within the hospital system advising them in relation to their detention, including dealing with Tribunal applications.
Out of work I enjoy horse riding, dancing, socializing and travelling.
Email: jennyoxton@peteredwardslaw.com
ANNETTE HOLMES (Civil Litigation Executive)
I started to work for Peter Edwards Law in October 2001 in the Civil Litigation Department and have worked for various different fee earners over a period of time before becoming the P.A. to Peter Edwards.
In 2009 I was promoted to being a fee earner working for Mr Edwards as his assistant. Because Peter at times works away from the office one of my main roles is to take instructions from clients and answer their queries and clarify instructions. I liaise with clients both on the telephone and within the office environment, attend Court and also visit clients in hospital.
Mr Edwards also teaches Mental Health and Incapacity Law both within our office and at different venues all over the country and within my role as his Assistant, I liaise with the different organisations in order to set up and coordinate these training events.
We undertake a great deal of Court of Protection work and this is something that takes up a lot of my time. Part of my work is the completion of the paperwork to the Court and generally monitoring the position and liaising with the Court and clients. I also have the job of making sure that the figures balance (which they always do!)
Outside of work, I enjoy Badminton and have been a member of a team for over 10 years and play on a regular weekly basis. I also enjoy socialising, travelling and spending time with my grandchildren.
Email: annetteholmes@peteredwardslaw.com
CAROLYN HARDAKER (Practice Manager)
I am the Practice Manager and at the centre of Peter Edwards Law at our administrative base in Hoylake on the Wirral. Since Peter Edwards Law was established in 1999 I have been part of the driving force behind the growth and success of the company.
My time is split between finance related tasks, such as monitoring expenditure and departmental performance, ensuring Law Society Rules are met, and overseeing personnel matters. Between email, document processing and the need for frequent remote access, technology has become an essential part of my, and the practices’ work. My job is to always look for ways to build on efficiency and increase productivity. I was awarded a Gold Award in Personnel Management around August 2008 by Peninsula.
Outside of work, I have a husband who is a fabulous cook who encourages me to sit back with a fine glass of Savignion Blanc.
Email: carolynhardaker@peteredwardslaw.com
DAVE SHEPPARD (Non solicitor Consultant)
I am very pleased to have become a consultant mental health and incapacity advisor to Peter Edwards Law. By way of background, I am an independent consultant who trains extensively on mental health law and practice. I left social work practice in 1989, having worked for 17 years in a variety of settings, including 12 years as a Mental Health Welfare Officer and Approved Social Worker, and as a manager. I then worked for the next 3 years in the Legal and Parliamentary Unit of MIND. I have been a panel member on four inquiries following homicide and have conducted independent case reviews for both trusts and social services departments. I am a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Mental Health Law and editorial consultant to Mental Health Law Reports.
Email: dave@davesheppard.co.uk
Roger Hargreaves (Non Solicitor Consultant)
M.A Cantab, M.Sc Oxon, CQSW
Roger’s first degree was in historical geography, and his main interest was, and still is, the study of ancient roads and tracks, but he spoilt his chances of an academic career by spending too much time running the university car club, and so after a short period in the aircraft industry he went into social work, soon specialising in mental health. In a career spanning 38 years he helped to found the first modern community mental health team, managed mental health and learning disability services at a senior level, ran a unit inspecting care homes, and spent six years working in the courts with mentally-disordered offenders.
He first acted in 1971 as a Mental Welfare Officer under the 1959 Mental Health Act, but his interest in mental health law really dates from his MSc dissertation in 1975, which was the first academic study of the social worker’s role in the Act and which subsequently informed MIND and BASW policy on its reform, and in particular the proposal to create the role of Approved Social Worker. Having drafted most of BASW’s evidence on the 1983 revision, he volunteered in 2000 to do the same again for the latest, protracted and acrimonious attempt to bring the legislation into the modern era, and he led BASW’s Parliamentary campaign on the 2006 Mental Health Bill, managing to get ten amendments debated (although only one onto the statute book !)
He first met Peter Edwards in 1976 when acting as a voluntary visitor to Moss Side (now Ashworth) Special Hospital for the National Council for Civil Liberties. At that time very few high-secure patients had the benefit of legal advice, and Peter was one of a small number of specialist lawyers to whom he could refer cases on. He subsequently became (as did Peter) one of the first members of the Mental Health Act Commission, and he chaired its social work group and its visiting team to Rampton Special Hospital.
He has served on a number of other national bodies, and has chaired four voluntary learning disability organisations, an area in which he has a personal as well as a professional interest. He has now retired from social work practice after ten years as a freelance, specialising in tribunal and civil court reports and complaints investigations and serving on eight independent NHS inquiries.
Although he now intends to spend more time with his dog scouring the Peak District hills for signs of ancient ways, he has retained his special interest in the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) on which he was also the BASW lead, and consultee on the drafting of the Regulations and Code. In this role he submitted over 70 pages of suggested changes, many of which were adopted. He continues to act as the lead on DoLS for the Mental Health Alliance, has done training for IMHL and Dave Sheppard Associates in both England and Wales, and presented a paper on the subject to a Law Society conference in April 2009, an expanded version of which is due to appear in the Journal of Mental Health Law. Richard Jones has described the DoLS provisions as “largely incomprehensible to both lay people and to many professionals” but Roger is confident that he does comprehend them, insofar as anyone does outside government.