Catherine CundyRegulator

Biography

Catherine Cundy is a barrister who was admitted to the roll in 2001 and called to the Bar (Middle Temple) in 2011. She was appointed as an Assistant Coroner in 2019, a Fee-paid First-tier Tribunal Judge in 2020, and as Area Coroner for North Yorkshire and York in August 2022. In that coroner role, listed on North Yorkshire Council's public pages, she conducted inquests and issued Regulation 28 Prevention of Future Deaths reports directed at NHS trusts including Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, raising concerns about failures in community mental health care. With effect from 2 March 2026, she was appointed a Judge of the First-tier Tribunal assigned to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber. She has also given professional training on disclosure duties and Prevention of Future Death reports, including on ECHR Article 2 obligations in mental health care settings.

References

1. 1.Judge of the First-tier Tribunal Appointment: Cundy – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary — Confirms appointment to First-tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) from 2 March 2026; background on Bar admission (2011), Assistant Coroner (2019), Fee-paid Tribunal Judge (2020), Area Coroner (2022)
2. 2.Coroners and sudden death investigations – North Yorkshire Council — Lists Ms C Cundy as HM Area Coroner for North Yorkshire and York; gives coroner office address as The Old Courthouse, Racecourse Lane, Northallerton; provides organisational contact email
3. 3.Coroner says there's 'risk of future deaths' at NHS trust – YorkMix — Press coverage of Cundy's Prevention of Future Deaths report to TEWV NHS Trust following inquest into Victoria Taylor; her public comments on mental health service failures
4. 4.Family of woman who drowned in river say mental health services failed her – Denbighshire Free Press

Expertise

Cited on

• Hospital discharge / bed-blocking

Stated areas of expertise

• Prevention of Future Deaths reports
• Mental health inquest law
• NHS patient safety accountability
• Coroner jurisdiction and death investigation
• ECHR Article 2 and mental health detention
• Health, Education and Social Care tribunal

Notable achievements

• Issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report to Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust following the inquest into the death of Victoria Taylor, citing failures in community mental health assessment and multi-agency working. Source ↗
• Appointed as a Judge of the First-tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) with effect from 2 March 2026. Source ↗
• Issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report following the inquest into the death of Stephen Dulling, directed to Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Source ↗
• Gave a professional training talk to barristers on disclosure duties in the Coroner's Court and provided an update on Prevention of Future Death reports and ECHR Article 2 case law in mental health care. Source ↗

What they’ve said

• “She said she found it "difficult to understand" why community mental health services repeatedly declined to offer Taylor support as her situation deteriorated during 2024.”

  Coroner · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Family of nurse found dead in river say she was failed by ‘systemic neglect’ ↗

Source references

1. Family of nurse found dead in river say she was failed by ‘systemic neglect’theguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.judiciary.uk/appointments-and-retirements/judge-of-the-first-tier-tribunal-appointment-cundy/
• Staff pagehttps://www.northyorks.gov.uk/births-deaths-marriages/death/coroners-and-sudden-death-investigation
• Press office emailcoronersadmin@northyorks.gov.ukpublished here ↗

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.