Ellen Roome secures fresh inquest in landmark ruling
We are pleased that our pro bono client Ellen Roome MBE has secured a High Court order for a fresh inquest into the death of her 14-year-old son, Jools Sweeney, in a landmark ruling on children’s social media data.
We hope that the inquest will provide Ms Roome and her family with the answers they have sought for over four years, and that it will serve as a turning point for other bereaved parents seeking scrutiny of a child’s digital life after their death.
Credit: Mishcon de Reya LLP.
The ruling, handed down by Lord Justice Warby and Mrs Justice Heather Williams KC, quashed the findings of the original 2022 inquest, which lasted only 23 minutes, heard no oral evidence, and proceeded without access to critical digital evidence.
It is believed to be the first case in England and Wales in which a fresh inquest has been ordered specifically to allow proper examination of a deceased child’s social media and device data.
Ms Roome said of the ruling:
“For more than four years we have fought every single day for the truth about what happened to our beautiful son, Jools. The legal system has finally recognised that there are questions which deserve to be answered.
“This ruling means that, at last, a coroner can examine Jools’ digital life using legal powers that did not exist when he died in 2022. We hope this is a turning point, not only in finding the truth about Jools, but in making the online world safer for every child.”
Ms Roome was represented by Harry Lambert, barrister at Outer Temple Chambers, instructed by Mishcon de Reya LLP.
The application was brought under section 13(1)(b) of the Coroners Act 1988, following permission granted by the Attorney General in March 2026, and drew on powers under the Online Safety Act 2023 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 to compel disclosure from social media companies.
Ms Roome’s persistent campaigning led to the introduction of “Jools’ Law” which requires the automatic preservation of a child’s online and social media data within five days of their death. This was written into the Crime and Policing Act in April 2026.
The focus will now turn to the Pre-Inquest Review, where the coroner will consider the scope of the new inquest, the witnesses to be called, and the disclosure to be sought.
Maltin PR helped Ms Roome show other bereaved parents that persistence can make a difference, and that a coroner’s inquest is not necessarily the end of the road. No parent should have to fight for years to find out what happened to their child. We are proud to help ensure that stories like Jools’ are heard.