Kate Wilson

Year of call:

2011

Education:

2010 - University of Manchester, LLB (Hons) (First)

2011 - Nottingham Law School, BPTC (‘Outstanding’)

Career:

2012 - Pupil under the supervision of Mark Gargan at No 6, Leeds

2013 - Tenant at No 6

2014 - Qualified to accept Public Access instructions

2014 - Grade 1 Crown Prosecutor

2015 - No 6 becomes Park Square Barristers

Appointments:

2021 - Deputy District Judge of the North Eastern Circuit

2021 - Assistant Coroner for Liverpool and Wirral

2021 - Director of Pupillage

2021 - Appointment to Attorney General's Regional B Panel of Advocates

2020 - Circuit Junior, North Eastern Circuit

2018 - Appointment to Attorney General's Regional Panel - C Panel of Advocates Bar Pro Bono Unit - Pro Bono Champion

Memberships:

Personal Injury Bar Association

Northern Circuit Chancery Bar Association

Awards:

2010 - Inner Temple Duke of Edinburgh Scholarship

2010 - Inner Temple Exhibition Scholarship

2010 - R G Lawson Award for Academic Excellence in Mental Health Law

2010 - R G Lawson Award for Academic Excellence in Constitutional Reform

2009 - R G Lawson Award for Academic Excellence in Child Law

Ranked Band 1 for Inquests & Public Inquiries – Chambers & Partners (2024) – 3 years ranked

Ranked Tier 1 for Inquests and Inquiries – The Legal 500 (2024)

Ranked Band 2 for Inquests & Public Inquiries – Chambers & Partners (2023)

“Her appetite for work and her dedication are unparalleled, she just has the most strategic overview of the matters.” Chambers & Partners (2024)

“As an advocate she is reserved but sharp; she doesn’t make a point when she doesn’t need to, but when she does make a point people listen.” Chambers & Partners (2024)

Kate’s advocacy has a mesmerising effect in court – pleasant, yet authoritative, commanding of attention. She is KC material.’ Legal 500 (2024)

“A leading barrister in her field, who has superb legal knowledge. She is able to judge the issues and make focused submissions.” Chambers & Partners (2023)

A simply superb advocate – Kate’s court demeanour is second to none. An extremely diligent and thorough barrister.’ The Legal 500 (2023)

“She is a very skilled advocate and great with clients.” “She is a solid performer as an advocate.” Chambers and Partners 2022

An unflappable advocate with a calm and measured advocacy style. She excels at her craft.” Legal 500 (2022)

“Extremely diligent and thorough, and able to get on top of the issues” The Legal 500 (2021)

Kate is an established inquest advocate.  Her approachable empathetic manner and thorough preparation enable her to guide both lay and professional clients through the sometimes-difficult inquest process. She provides pragmatic advice, proactively identifying potential issues at an early stage, enabling effective case preparation and careful management of potential Regulation 28 (Reports to Prevent Future Deaths) issues.  Her ability to comprehend the needs of complex cases while remaining focused ensures she is popular not only with her clients but the Coroners she appears before.

Since her appointment as junior counsel to the Crown in 2018, Kate regularly acts on behalf of public and privately run prisons and healthcare in justice providers in jury inquests which engage Article 2. She is familiar with processes unique to custody, including the ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork) process.  This builds on a solid foundation of experience including inquests involving deaths in the workplace, in care homes, deaths involving medical malpractice, self-harm, road traffic collisions and substance misuse. For a decade across all areas of Kate’s practice, she has maintained a particular interest in cases involving psychiatric injury and individuals with mental health difficulties.

Kate is available to represent any interested person including bereaved families, public bodies and those who have been made an interested person by the Coroner due to their professional roles.  While always sensitive to the bereaved and the ethos of the Coroners Court Kate provides robust representation in the best interests of her clients.

Kate is also instructed in civil actions arising out of inquests, including those concerning alleged breaches of the Human Rights Act 1998 or the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 and she is able to offer continuity of representation to both families and any interested parties.

Recent examples:

  • 8 day Article 2 inquest concerning a death in custody at Hull Coroner’s Court. The inquest considered the appropriateness of the assessment of risk of self-harm by both healthcare and prison staff, including changing cell location from an anti-ligature cell to a normal cell and reducing the level of observations a few days before the tragic event, communication between staff, mental health facilities in prison and the emergency response procedures.
  •  Represented a healthcare in justice provider at an inquest into the death of a prisoner who had died from “spice” and methadone toxicity.
  • Health and Safety at Work inquest – Represented the driver of a telehandler who tragically reversed over a colleague whilst working on a dairy farm. The inquest was heard with a jury.
  • Inquest into the death of a young man who committed suicide whilst subject to police bail conditions. As a result of a domestic incident, bail conditions and ongoing family proceedings, contact between the deceased and his child was very limited.  Kate represented South Yorkshire Police
  • Instructed on behalf of the family of a British man who died at Dalaman airport after being removed from the aeroplane by Jet2 staff who misunderstood his mental health crisis for intoxicated behaviour
  • A week-long jury inquest into the death of a boatman working at a construction site of the Flood Alleviation Scheme on the River Aire. Kate represented Leeds City Council.
  • A nine-day jury inquest in respect of a death in custody involving, inter alia, mental health concerns and the appropriateness of sanctions employed by the prison to maintain discipline and security
  • An inquest touching upon the death of a care-home resident with dementia, who suffered a fall. Concerns were raised regarding the falls risk assessment. Kate represented the local authority.
  • A week-long Article 2 inquest with a jury, where concerns focused on the missed opportunities to diagnose pancreatic cancer and the standard of healthcare received in state custody.
  • Fatal Accidents Act Claim on behalf of a husband and daughter, following the death of a Mother in a deliberately induced road traffic accident. Kate provided advice and representation throughout. Claim settled for £695,000 and apportionment approved by the Court.

Kate accepts invitations to provide seminars and lectures on Coronial law. Kate has recently delivered a seminar on Regulation 28 to over 100 delegates and presented seminars on developments in Coronial Law and Article 2.

Public Access

Kate may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Contact Kate’s clerks

Madeleine Gray on 0113 202 8603

Patrick Urbina on 0113 213 5250

Imogen Brown on 0113 2135225

Kate has vast experience in personal injury claims, acting for both Claimants and Defendants in claims arising out of injury or death in the workplace, in prison or custody, in a public place, on the road or as a result of clinical negligence. Increasingly, Kate’s practice includes serious life-changing injury claims and high-value litigation. She is approachable, thoroughly prepared and a persuasive advocate. Kate is a contributor to Butterworths Personal Injury Litigation Service.

She undertakes work at all stages from advisory work, drafting pleadings, schedules of loss and Part 35 questions, attending CCMCs, JSMs, through to trial and approval hearings. Kate regularly appears at inquests prior to civil proceedings, providing continuity of representation throughout.

Kate is regularly instructed on behalf of NHSLAs, insurers, large supermarkets and, since her appointment as junior counsel to the Crown in 2018, Kate regularly acts on behalf of public and privately run prisons, healthcare in justice providers, the Crown and other State Departments in personal injury, Human Rights Act 1998 or Fatal Accidents Act claims.

Kate is experienced in disputes arising out of the Fixed Recoverable Costs regime and is regularly instructed to advise on and/or represent parties at hearings concerning technical costs/procedural issues.

Psychiatric Injury and Occupational Stress Claims

For a decade across all areas of Kate’s practice, she has maintained a particular interest in cases involving psychiatric injury and individuals with mental health difficulties. Her ability to comprehend the needs of complex cases and calm, empathetic manner means she is a popular choice for Claimants and Defendants in occupational stress claims and claims arising from psychiatric injury caused by breaches of the implied term, bullying, harassment, overwork and claims which involve a psychological component.

Clinical Negligence

Kate has a broad experience in the field of healthcare law for almost a decade. She is a thorough and persuasive advocate, navigating complex medical and legal issues in a calm and approachable manner. Alongside her court work she also has a busy paper practice, and is always available to her instructing solicitor by telephone.

Kate’s experience of clinical negligence and medical mal-practice includes acting on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants in general practice, hospital, midwifery, dental, care home and healthcare in custody settings.

Recent Examples:

  • Fatal Accidents Act Claim on behalf of a husband and daughter, following the death of a Mother in a deliberately induced road traffic accident. Kate provided advice and representation throughout. Claim settled for £695,000 and apportionment approved by the Court.
  • Representing protected party who sustained a life-changing head injury following a fall from height. Kate settled pleadings and advised throughout, resulting in a substantial settlement which was approved by the Court.
  • B, J, and C v Gwynyedd Council – Representing three Claimants in a bullying claim. Settled at JSM.
  • R v Tesco – Representing the Claimant in a claim for negligence/breach of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 following verbal abuse by a Line Manager over a sustained period. The claim includes both general damages and injury to feelings, applying the Vento Guidelines;
  • OB v Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust and Rotherham Borough Council – Representing the First Defendant at trial following the Claimant’s fall whilst leaving her place of work. The Claim, which was pleaded in excess of £150,000, was dismissed at Sheffield County Court;
  • C v ASDA – Representing the Defendant at trial and on appeal in the County Courts at Huddersfield and Leeds following an accident at work where the Claimant sustained a traumatic amputation of the tip of his finger. Both the claim, and subsequent appeal, were dismissed;

Public Access

Kate may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Kate accepts instructions on public law and regulatory matters, particularly in the fields of healthcare, prison and those involving injury or deaths in the workplace.

Healthcare

Kate has a broad experience in the field of healthcare law for almost a decade. She is a thorough and persuasive advocate, navigating complex medical and legal issues in a calm and approachable manner. Alongside her court work she also has a busy paper practice, and is always available to her instructing solicitor by telephone.

Kate’s experience of clinical negligence claims and medical mal-practice cases includes doctors nursing and midwifery, dentistry, care home and healthcare in custody settings. Kate enjoys getting to grips with medical and technical issues in clinical negligence claims, inquests, and healthcare regulatory cases.

Kate has a growing interest in employment disciplinary investigations and proceedings representing healthcare professionals.

Judicial Review & Public Law

Kate represents applicants and public bodies in judicial review proceedings, as well as in a number of specialist tribunals including the Upper Tribunal. She has over eight years’ experience representing victims of violent crime pursuant to the CICA schemes. Kate has a special interest in Judicial Review proceedings concerning coronial law and inquests.

Recent Experience:

  • Providing advice and representation in ongoing Judicial Review proceedings in which it was alleged regulation 3ZA Social Security and Child Support (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 1999 breaches Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
  • Instructed on behalf of the Legal Aid Agency in the Property Chamber arising out of a dispute in the application of the Statutory Charge;
  • Appeared before the First-Tier Tribunal regarding the application of a particular war pension to social entitlement legislation;
  • In a claim arising out of historic sexual abuse which resulted in the Appellant suffered life-long and debilitating psychiatric injuries, the CICA offered the Appellant an award of £22,000 under the 2001 Scheme. The CICA disputed causation of the Appellant’s continuing symptoms. Special measures were required to enable the Appellant to give evidence. Kate successfully represented the Appellant at the final hearing, resulting in an award in excess of £200,000.

Public Access

Kate may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Contact Kate’s clerks

Madeleine Gray on 0113 202 8603

Patrick Urbina on 0113 213 5250

Imogen Brown on 0113 2135225

Kate is approachable, thoroughly prepared and a persuasive advocate. She appears on a number of leading insurance company panels of preferred counsel.

Experienced in all areas of indemnity disputes including motor, business and property, Kate is instructed in a broad spectrum of indemnity claims arising from commercial and domestic insurance, in relation to risk, policy coverage and recovery disputes. This includes advising on the construction of policies, policy avoidance and cancellation, property damage, and nuisance.

Regularly instructed on behalf of Defendants in fraudulent and suspicious claims, she completes robust defences promptly. Kate’s experience in the motor industry include cases involving staged accidents, low-velocity impact (LVI) matters, bogus passenger claims and exaggeration of loss. She has extensive experience defending credit hire claims and she understands the need to secure robust directions at case management hearings, particularly in cases where the veracity of the hire is in issue, or in cases involving the hire of taxis. Kate ensures that she is always alive to developments in this field, in addition to being very familiar with existing arguments and case law.

Kate undertakes work at all stages and provides pragmatic advice, including on procedure and tactics. She is familiar with representing parties at contested interlocutory applications including: applications for specific disclosure, applications to strike out, applications to resile from admissions, CMCs, CCMCs, applications regarding medical evidence, and costs arguments. Kate is also regularly instructed in relation to applications regarding Qualified One Way Costs Shifting (“QOCs”) and allegations of fundamental dishonesty.

Recent Examples:

  • Mearns v Co-Operative Insurance –  Advising the insured on her defence to a claim for a declaration that her insurer was entitled to avoid the policy due to misrepresentation and non-disclosure.
  • Khan v London Borough of Harrow –  Representing the insured and insurer in a surrogated property damage claim arising out of tree root subsidence and nuisance.
  • Holmes v Engie Fabricom  – Advising as to the coverage of employers’ and public liability insurance following an accident involving a sub-contractor.
  • Hassan & Bespoke Credit Hire v Allen– Personal injury claim dismissed with finding of fundamental dishonesty after the claim was shown to be exaggerated at trial and LVI defence successful. Hire claim also dismissed.

Public Access

Kate may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Contact Kate’s clerks

Senior Clerk – Andy Reeves on 0113 213 5252

Talia Webster on 0113 202 8609

Joshua Duree on 0113 213 5246

Mike Alexander on 0113 2135268

Ben Ellison-Tope on 0113 2135207