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
