Andy Petherbridge is a Principal Associate in Weightmans' Police Claims team based in Leeds. He specialises in defending civil actions brought against the police.
Andy is an experienced litigator and advocate with extensive experience across police law, civil litigation and inquests. He has developed a strong courtroom practice having regularly appeared in the Magistrates Court representing the police in both straightforward and fully contested applications. Alongside his advocacy work, Andy has built up substantial litigation experience having been instructed on complex civil claims from inception through to resolution.
Andy’s background includes advising the police on sensitive operational matters and providing them with clear, robust legal advice-often in fast moving and high pressure environments. He has significant experience in a wide range of civil orders including injunctions, closure orders, Sexual Offences Act orders, Stalking Protection orders and Proceeds of Crime Act applications. Andy is also experienced in matters pertaining to the Licensing Act 2003 as well as Firearms Licensing.
Earlier in his career, Andy progressed from general civil litigation into complex civil liberties work. He was instructed in high-profile cases and Article 2 Inquests, some of which was reported in the national media. His experience in this area spans deaths in custody, domestic homicides and major public interest inquiries.
Andy is adept at navigating sensitive and high-risk cases. His professionalism, legal insight and collaborative approach have been formally recognised through a commendation describing him as “a highly respected legal professional whose expertise in operational policing has been pivotal in securing complex civil preventative orders and delivering successful outcomes in sensitive cases.”
Experience and noteable cases:
Chief Constable of Humberside Police -v- Kelly Morgan [2024] EWHC 2859 (Admin). High Court decision in respect of the courts' powers to suspend closure orders.