Katie Laura Jones > Lincoln House Chambers > North West

Katie was called to the Bar in 2003 and has been a member of Lincoln House since 2008.

An experienced practitioner, Katie has built up a reputation as a fearless advocate who is highly skilled at combining a robust and sensible approach with her ability to deal with witnesses and defendants sensitively and compassionately, when required. She is organised and diligent in her preparation of her cases, identifying and communicating potential issues early on, and she is approachable in manner to professional and lay clients alike. She has a wide range of experience before various courts and tribunals. She is often asked to provide advice on complex issues at short notice, and is always happy to assist wherever possible.

Katie spent the first 12 years of her practice practising almost exclusively in criminal law, both for the prosecution and defence, and predominantly in the Crown Court. She has extensive experience of conducting a wide range of cases across the criminal calendar. She is a Category 4 prosecutor, and spent many years as a member of the CPS RASSO panel.

More recently, Katie has successfully expanded her practice into Regulatory Law and Inquest work. She began to expand her practice into Regulatory law in 2014, and this now accounts for a significant proportion of her practice. She is regularly instructed by the General Medical Council in Fitness to Practise hearings before the Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal. She also regularly appears on behalf of the GMC before the Interim Orders Tribunal, at Review hearings, and for Restoration cases, and is often instructed by the GMC to appear in the High Court, in relation to applications to extend Interim Orders. In addition, Katie also has experience of representing registrants before the MPT, and of acting for students on vocational courses in relation to fitness to practise procedures.

Katie is a member of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers and is authorised to represent members of the public under the ‘Public Access’ scheme.

Since 2019, Katie has sat regularly as a Fee Paid Judge of the First Tier Tribunal, Health Education and Social Care Chamber, ticketed to sit in the Mental Health Review Tribunal. She also sits as a Recorder in the Crown Court, having been appointed in 2023.

Katie has also successfully expanded her practice to include Inquest work, and is regularly instructed to represent a range of Interested Parties at Inquests. Her skillset and knowledge base mean that she is particularly well suited to cases involving issues relating to mental health/mental capacity, and/or clinical care provided by healthcare professionals.

In addition, Katie has experience of conducting cases before a range of First Tier Tribunals such as the First-Tier Tribunal (Care Standards) and Special Educational Needs Disability Tribunal (SEND), and also has experience of dealing with licensing appeals before the Magistrates’ Court.

As a result of the direction that Katie’s practice has taken in recent years, she has developed a particular interest and expertise in dealing with cases which involve a medical/healthcare/mental health background. There is often a cross over with areas of law or procedure with which Katie is very familiar, given her long standing experience of criminal law, and her extensive knowledge of regulatory and mental health law. She finds that her breadth of experience in dealing with serious criminal and regulatory allegations, and her familiarity with a range of jurisdictions, makes her ideally placed to advise on such cases. She often provides written advice on complex issues when this is required to progress a case, and she is always happy to discuss a particular issue/case with her Instructing Solicitor, to help them to ascertain if an initial written advice/conference would be helpful in the context of their case.

In addition to her advocacy and advisory work, Katie provides training to in house legal departments/Instructing Solicitors on a range of subjects. She is happy to deliver bespoke training on particular areas of interest, either remotely or face to face.

Katie has a keen interest in sport (in particular rugby, running and triathlon), and is especially interested in the area of safeguarding in sport. Katie is one of a number of approved counsel in Chambers who is able to accept instructions in respect of the Safeguarding Case Management Programme, through Sports Resolution, which provides case management assistance to National Governing Bodies in relation to safeguarding matters, providing advice and assistance following a referral or disclosure, investigations and hearings.

Examples of cases conducted in recent years:

Inquest touching on the death of NB – Article 2 Inquest, representing family, concerning issues of capacity, adequate provision of medical care, expert evidence on care provided.

Inquest touching on the death of SB – representing Local Authority, concerning issues of involvement of mental health services, capacity, and an examination of the approach by multiple-agencies;

Inquest touching on the death of LH – Article 2 Inquest representing family, concerning death in prison;

Inquest touching on the death of JCP – representing Local Authority, concerning issues of capacity and self-neglect;

GMC v Dr A – representing GMC before MPT, misconduct (dishonesty);

GMC v Dr G – representing GMC before MPT, misconduct; conditions 3 years

GMC v Dr O – representing GMC before MPT, conviction and misconduct; 12 months suspension;

GMC v Dr LL – representing GMC before MPT, misconduct (dishonesty), 12 months suspension.

GMC v Dr S – representing GMC before MPT, misconduct, 6 months suspension;

Inquest touching on the death of PW – Inquest representing Local Authority, concerning issues of safeguarding/mental capacity/s117 aftercare/neglect;

GMC v Dr F – representing GMC before MPT, dishonesty, 12 months suspension;

GMC v Dr G – representing GMC before MPT, misconduct, Conditions;

AN v Oldham MBC – representing Appellant in taxi driver licensing appeal, successful on appeal;

AJ v Oldham MBC – representing Appellant in taxi driver licensing appeal, successful on appeal;

R v G – defending, successfully argued that exceptional hardship should apply in totting up case;

GMC v Dr G, representing registrant on review hearing, successfully persuaded Tribunal that doctor’s FTP was no longer impaired;

R v JG – prosecuting – assistant head teacher accused of historic sexual abuse;

R v S – prosecuting – multiple rapes and other sexual offending – convicted;

R v RR – Defending – Rape and s18 Assault – background of DV – acquitted;

R v S – Defending – Possession with Intent to supply Cannabis – acquitted;

GMC v Dr K – representing GMC before MPT – misconduct by dishonesty – Dr suspended;

R v W – Defending, Dangerous Driving – acquitted;

R v D – Defending, s28, foster carer accused of Assault on children in his care, acquitted;

R v A and others – Prosecuting – multi-handed kidnap and Affray – case proceeded to trial but was successfully resolved during trial with acceptable guilty pleas;

R v P – Prosecuting – Ill-treatment by carer contrary to s44 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 – convicted;

R v R – Defending – witness intimidation – acquitted;

GMC v Dr W – representing GMC before MPT – misconduct, dishonesty, Dr erased from register;

R v D – defending – Rape and Assaults – acquitted of Rape;

GMC v Dr S – representing GMC before MPT – health, Dr suspended from register;

R v M – prosecuting – historic rape – D pleaded guilty to offences during trial;

R v H – prosecuting – racially aggravated assaults – convicted;

Dr F – representing the GMC before MPT – conviction case – Dr suspended from register;

R v A – prosecuting – multiple sexual assault allegations – convicted;

GMC v Dr J – representing GMC before MPT – misconduct, dishonesty – Dr suspended from register;

R v M – prosecuting – various sexual offences – convictions;

Dr S – representing the GMC before MPT – misconduct by dishonesty – Dr suspended from register;

R v S – prosecuting – exposure – D found unfit to plead/stand trial, found to have committed the act, Supervision Order made;