The Inquiry Chairman, Sir Robert Owen Sir Robert Michael Owen acted as Assistant Coroner with responsibility for the inquest into Mr Litvinenko’s death and chairs the inquiry. He was a Judge of the High Court, Queen’s Bench Division, between 2001 and 19 September 2014 when he retired. From 2005-2008 he was the Presiding Judge of the Western Circuit. He was called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1968 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel (QC) in 1988. In 1997 he was Chairman of the Bar of England and Wales. On 7 August 2012 he was appointed as Her Majesty’s Assistant Deputy Coroner for Inner North London to hear the inquest into the death of Alexander Litvinenko. On 25 July 2013 new coroner Rules and Regulations were introduced by the Ministry of Justice under the auspices of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. As a result Sir Robert’s coronial title became “Her Majesty’s Assistant Coroner for Inner North London”.