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Oliver Campbell KC

"Unbelievably able, knowledgeable advocate… carries enormous gravitas and respect in court and with clients."

Legal 500 2025

Call
1992
Silk
2014
Tel:
+44 (0)20 7583 9020
Email:
clerks@hendersonchambers.co.uk

Oliver Campbell KC specialises product liability, health & safety, regulatory and environmental claims.  His work in those areas encompasses inquests and inquiries.  He has particular expertise in group and representative actions, including multi-party product liability and data breach claims.  For the last decade he has been engaged in many of the largest and most significant cases in those fields.

Notable cases in which Oliver has been retained over the last three years include: the Diesel NOx emissions litigation, a series of group actions brought by over a million consumers against several vehicle manufacturers; the Grenfell Inquiry;  the Google ‘Safari Workaround’ litigation;  the TSB / Whistletree Group Action; the Equiniti group action; the Metal on Metal hip litigation; the MPM/Eastbourne pier gross negligence manslaughter prosecution; and the British Cycling prosecution.

Oliver is recommended by the legal directories as a leading silk in the fields of: health & safety, product liability, group actions, inquests and public inquiries, and environmental claims.  He was awarded ‘health and safety silk of the year’ at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2022 and has been listed by Legal Week as one of the top-rated members of the bar.  He was described by the Legal 500 as an: “outstanding advocate at the highest level. Very thorough and skilful strategist. Very reliable in all areas of industry and services.”

In the field of product liability and group litigation, the Legal 500 commented that Oliver is: “without doubt one of the standout silks in this space, absolutely at the top of his game. He has a deep strategic insight into group cases and the behaviour of defendants, and a clarity of thought that cuts through the strategic complexity.  He is a brilliant advocate with a lovely relaxed style”. Chambers and Partners say that: “he is an enormously reassuring presence in difficult situations and his written work and oral advocacy are outstanding” and “he is unflappable, calm and measured.”

In relation to his health & safety and regulatory expertise, Oliver has been described in the Legal Directories as being: “a formidable barrister”; a “great tactician, especially with expert evidence”; “an incredibly smooth and persuasive advocate”; “really immersed in the area”; “an outstanding performer”; “very good at inspiring confidence in clients”;  “extremely intelligent”; and “someone who handles complex and sensitive cases extremely well”.

For more information about the way barristers at Henderson Chambers work, including our terms of engagement, fee transparency statement and our complaints process, please click here.  Barristers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board.

Please click here for a copy of Oliver Campbell’s privacy policy.

 

Expertise

Health & Safety

Oliver has been involved in many of the highest-profile and most significant health and safety prosecutions of the last 20 years. He is the chair of Henderson Chambers health and safety practice group, and his practice encompasses all aspects of health and safety and regulatory litigation, representing both companies and individuals prosecuted for health and safety and other regulatory offences.

Oliver is recommended as a leading silk for health & safety cases by the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners (band 1 in both).  He has twice been shortlisted for health and safety silk of the year, and won this award at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2022 (having previously won health and safety junior of the year). He was a founder member of the Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association and was on the executive committee for many years.

Oliver has particular expertise in manslaughter and other health safety prosecutions arising from fatalities.  Recent cases in which he has successfully defended defendants at trial include: one of the defendants in the MPM / Eastbourne pier trial (a gross negligence manslaughter case); one of the defendants in the BMI hospital prosecution; one of the defendants in the British Cycling prosecution; the operators of Tilbury Docks following a serious accident; a well-known crane hire company; and an NHS Trust in a prosecution arising out of a fatal accident to one of its employees.

His experience spans many different industries and sectors. These have included prosecutions arising from accidents at construction sites, accidents at sea, in hospitals and care homes, in docks, in nurseries and schools, from electrical and other fires, and from road and railway accidents.

Oliver has appeared in the Court of Appeal on several occasions in health and safety cases. He appeared in R v Sellafield and Network Rail (CA), the leading authority on sentencing of large companies, and Ashtead Plant Hire (CA) in relation to the application of the Electricity at Work Regulations.

Representative cases

grid list
  • HSE v AFE & BMI (2023)

    Successful defence following a 6 week trial of charges resulting from a fatal electrocution of an employee in a hospital kitchen.

  • The Grenfell Inquiry (ongoing)

    Acting for one of the corporate core participants.

  • R v AJM Services and Pearsons Glass (2022)

    Prosecution arising from a fatal accident during construction work to a factory roof.

  • ORR v Volker Rail (2022)

    Prosecution by the ORR following a trench collapse in which a worker was crushed.

  • R v Dixon, Hawkins and MPM (2021)

    Successful defence of a manslaughter prosecution following a 3 month trial.  The prosecution arose from a fatal accident during repair works to Eastbourne pier.

  • R v British Cycling and Marsden (2018)

    5 week trial following a fatal accident at a down-hill mountain bike event in Wales.  First prosecution of its kind against a sporting governing body and the organiser of a cycling event.  Oliver acted for the organiser of the event who was found not guilty by a jury.

    Link to news item and press coverage here

Read more

Product Liability

Oliver is a leading specialist in product liability claims and has been retained in many of the largest product liability and group actions of recent years.   These include: the Dieselgate NOx Emissions Group Actions (acting for over a million consumers in actions against VW, Mercedes, BMW, Ford, Renault and other manufacturers); the Metal on Metal Hip Litigation; the OCENSA pipeline group action; the Lariam Litigation; the Para Red litigation; and the Sudan Red litigation (acting for one of the defendants in the largest food recall in UK history).

He is ranked in Band 1 by both Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500 as a leading silk for product liability claims.  Chambers and Partners commented in relation to his product liability expertise that he “is a particularly good trial advocate who is forensically deadly, but also someone with a very affable personality” as well as being “…fiercely clever…unbelievably clear and makes difficult points in a simple manner”.  The Legal 500 commented that he is “without doubt one of the standout silks in this space, absolutely at the top of his game.  He has a clarity of thought that cuts through the strategic complexity. He is a brilliant advocate with a lovely relaxed style”.

Oliver regularly advises in relation to claims under the Consumer Protection Act; property damage claims; product testing and product recall issues; cross border, jurisdiction and applicable law issues; contractual exemption clauses; and coverage and insurance issues associated with product liability claims.

He has considerable experience acting on behalf of the food and drink industries, including in relation to allergen issues.

He is an editor of the “International Product Law Manual” and a contributor to Halsbury’s Laws of England.

Representative cases

grid list
  • VW NOx Emissions Group Litigation

    Group action against VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda. Various decisions including:

    • Crossley v Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft[2021] EWHC 344 (QB): Refusal to strike out claim in deceit, and consideration of need for awareness of representations.
    • Crossley v Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft[2020] EWHC 783 (QB): Trial of a preliminary issue within VW NOx Emissions Litigation as to meaning of “defeat device” in EU legislation.
    • Crossley v Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft[2019] EWHC 698 (QB): Determination of an application for a preliminary issues trial in VW NOx Emissions Litigation.
  • Lloyd v Google [2021] UKSC 50
  • Mercedes and BMW Emissions Litigation
  • Metal on Metal Hip Litigation
  • OCENSA Pipeline Group Litigation
  • Poole v Simon Wright Racing Developments

    Claim in respect of alleged design defects in a go-kart.

Read more

Group Actions

Oliver has very extensive experience of acting for both claimants and defendants in group actions and other collective and multi-party claims. He is ranked in Band 1 by both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for Group Actions.

Oliver is leading counsel for the claimants in the Dieselgate NOx emissions litigation.  This litigation comprises a series of group actions against vehicle manufacturers which are now being dealt with collectively by the High Court.  It is thought to be the largest consumer claim brought in the UK, with approximately 1.3 million claimants bringing claims against 16 vehicle manufacturers.

Oliver also acted for the defendants (BP) in the OCENSA Litigation, a 5 month trial of a group action relating to a pipeline in Colombia before Mr Justice Stuart-Smith.

Oliver appeared in Lloyd v Google (Supreme Court), the leading case on representative actions and data privacy.

He has acted in several group claims involving financial products and services, including the TSB / Whistletree group claim, and the Lloyds HBOS group action.

Oliver has also acted in many group and collective data protections claims, including: the EasyJet claim; the Equifax claim; the Equiniti claim and the Ticketmaster claim.

His experience in this area also includes environmental and pollution claims (for example, the OCENSA pipeline group action); pharmaceutical and medicinal product claims (for example, the Lariam group litigation); claims by shareholders (for example, the Lloyds HBOS group action); claims arising from large accidents and disasters (for example, the claims following the Stafford rail crash); and claims arising from professional negligence and mis-selling of financial products (for example, the coal miners claims).

According to the Legal 500: “Oliver is without doubt one of the standout silks in this space, absolutely at the top of his game. He has a deep strategic insight into group cases and the behaviour of defendants, and a clarity of thought that cuts through the strategic complexity. He is a brilliant advocate with a lovely relaxed style that judges appreciate.” Chambers & Partners comment that: “He is encyclopaedic in his knowledge, very experienced and knows the procedural ropes very well” and that “he is an enormously reassuring presence in difficult situations and his written work and oral advocacy are outstanding”, as well as being  “unflappable, calm and measured”. 

Inquests and Public Inquiries

Oliver has acted in many major inquests and public inquiries.  Examples include: the Grenfell Inquiry; the Scout Association Inquest; the Natasha Ednan-Laperouse / Pret a Manger inquest; the inquests into the Potters Bar and Ufton Nervet rail accidents; the inquest in relation to the Basildon hospital legionella outbreaks; the Bridgewater Place inquest; the Vauxhall tower helicopter crash inquest; and the inquest into the Avonmouth bridge disaster.   He also acted in R (Maguire) v Coroner for West Yorkshire (2018)(CA), a decision of the Lord Chief Justice in relation to an inquest into the death of a teacher murdered by one of her pupils.

He is recognised by the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading silk for inquests and public inquiries.  The Legal 500 commented in relation to his inquest and inquiry expertise that he is “Unbelievably able, knowledgeable advocate and carries enormous gravitas and respect in court and with clients.”  Chambers and Partners commented that “He is an enormously skilled advocate and clients love him.”

Representative cases

grid list
  • The Scout Association (2022)

    High profile inquest into the death of scout who fell from a cliff during a scouting trip.

  • Andrew Cook (2021)

    Inquest into the death of a patient who was alleged to have suffered an allergic reaction to the polymer coating of a widely sold catheter during a cardiac procedure.

  • Dritan Quema (2021)

    Inquest into the death of a rail worker.  He was working on a zero hours contract, and the death was alleged to be caused by fatigue.

  • R (Maguire) v Assistant Coroner for West Yorkshire [2018] EWCA Civ 6

    Decision by the Lord Chief Justice re calling child witnesses in an inquest.

  • Pret a Manger (2018)

    Pret a Manger. Oliver acting for Pret in this very high profile case following the death of a 15 year old girl who suffered an allergic reaction after eating a baguette purchased from Pret.

    Link to press coverage here

  • Signature Living / Titanic Hotel (2018)

    Case arising from a fatal accident at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool (former headquarters of the White Start Line). Customer fell over an historic (but low) bannister; dispute as to whether the bannister ought to have been changed dispute the heritage status.  Oliver is acting for the owners of the hotel.

    Link to press coverage here

Read more

Environment

Oliver has considerable experience of both criminal and civil environmental, nuisance, waste management and pollution claims.

He is recognised by Chambers & Partners as a leading silk for environmental claims with the comment that “He is fiercely clever, unbelievably clear and makes really difficult points in a very simple way.” 

He has regularly represented defendants charged with offences under the Environmental Protection Act and the Environmental Permitting Regulations. He also has extensive experience of civil environmental and pollution claims, including nuisance, land contamination and flooding claims. That experience encompasses many different types of land use and activity, including oil pipelines, construction sites, waste sites, railway infrastructure and harbours.

Oliver represented one of the corporate defendants in the Marks and Spencer asbestos prosecution, and successfully defended a claim in relation to asbestos removal from the Corus headquarters building.  He represented BP in a 5 month trial of an environmental group action in relation to an oil pipeline built in Colombia (the OCENSA pipeline group litigation).  He represented the director of a waste management company, following a fire at a waste management site in Swindon site that burned for over 60 days.  He also acted for Network Rail in noise nuisance proceedings relating to the Reading train care depot.

 

What the directories say

"He has a precise, calm and steady manner when advocating on complex and tricky points of law."
Chambers UK 2025

"He's very commercial."
Chambers UK 2025

"Oliver takes everything in his stride and provides very pragmatic advice."
Chambers UK 2025

"Oliver is totally impressive."
Chambers UK 2025

"He is fiercely clever, unbelievably clear and makes really difficult points in a very simple way."
Chambers UK 2025

Read more


News and articles

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Instructing Oliver Campbell KC

If you require help or advice please contact our clerking team

Call +44 (0)20 7583 9020
or email

Appointments
  • Recorder (Crown Court, 2020)
  • King’s Counsel (QC 2014)
  • Chief Examiner for the BPTC (2015-2019)
  • Trustee of the Lambeth Law Centre (2010-2019)
  • President of the Oxford Union (1990)
  • BSB’s panel of advocates
Publications
  • Contributor to Halsbury’s Laws of England
  • Contributing Editor to the “International Product Law Manual”
  • Editor of the personal injury section of “The Lawyers Factbook”
Memberships
  • Health & Safety Lawyers’ Association
  • Commercial Bar Association
  • London Common Law & Commercial Bar Association
  • Personal Injuries Bar Association
Education
  • Advocacy Prize, Inns of Court School of Law (1992)
  • MA in Law, Oxford
Regulatory Information

All members of Chambers are registered with the Bar Standards Board of England and Wales. For our standard contractual terms click here.

For more information about the way barristers at Henderson Chambers work, including our fee transparency statement and our complaints process, please click here.

Bar Council Number: 29267

VAT Registration Number: 628152151

Legal Status: King’s Counsel

Professional Insurance: All members of Chambers have professional liability insurance provided by the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund Ltd. Territorial coverage is world-wide and subject to the term of the Bar Mutual. Click here for details.

Regulated by the Bar Standards Board.

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