In a statement on GOV.UK, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary said it had led a multi-force mock trial event for those who manage civil compensation claims arising from health and safety incidents. The exercise brought together representatives from the CNC, West Midlands Police, Staffordshire Constabulary and the Metropolitan Police Service. The session was hosted in Birmingham by DWF, the CNC's solicitor partner, with most presentations and the mock hearing delivered by barristers from Parklane Plowden chambers. The format placed legal and operational staff in a setting intended to mirror the pressures of civil litigation rather than a standard classroom briefing.
According to the CNC, the day opened with talks on the main features of employers' liability and public liability actions, with particular attention to the documentary evidence needed for these claims. That emphasis is significant for police forces and other public bodies because civil cases are often determined by the quality, consistency and credibility of the material put before the court. The mock trial itself centred on a compensation claim linked to injuries said to have been sustained during a police exercise. By using an operational scenario, the organisers moved the discussion from legal principle to practice, showing delegates how evidence may be presented and how a judge may assess whether a claim is well founded.
The event also gave participants a practical view of courtroom procedure. The CNC said delegates were shown how the court is physically arranged and were able to observe realistic and challenging cross-examination of witnesses by opposing barristers. For policing bodies, that is more than procedural detail. Staff involved in claims handling, health and safety management or internal investigation may be required to support a case long after the underlying incident, and the way evidence is tested in court can shape how an authority prepares its files from the outset.
Nayan Mesuria, the CNC's Solicitor and Insurance Manager, organised the event and also took the role of claimant during the mock hearing. In the source article, the force presented the exercise as training for legal and health and safety teams so that they are better prepared for the point at which a civil matter moves from internal handling to live courtroom scrutiny. That matters in a public-sector setting because a civil claim against a police force is not simply an insurance issue. It can carry financial exposure, reputational consequences and wider questions about whether systems, supervision and safety arrangements will withstand external examination.
The CNC described the scenario as deliberately realistic and said it gave colleagues a clearer sense of the level of scrutiny applied to both those bringing a claim and those defending it. That balance is important. Civil litigation is a formal test of competing accounts, and public authorities need processes that are fair to claimants while also robust in the defence of cases that are not supported by the evidence. Set against that test, the event's focus on documentary preparation stands out. Where an injury claim follows a training exercise or other operational activity, the court will expect a clear evidential account of what happened and what material supports each version of events.
According to the CNC, early feedback from attendees was positive, with participants describing the mock trial as educational and the legal briefings from DWF and Parklane Plowden as strong. The force said the input from its legal partners had strengthened internal understanding and preparation so that it could represent the organisation appropriately. For a policy and practice audience, the wider point is clear. Public bodies do not manage liability risk effectively by leaving courtroom issues to external lawyers alone. Internal records, witness readiness and a working understanding of trial procedure remain essential to credible claims handling across policing and the wider public sector.