Oriel Chambers

Criminal, civil (including residential landlord and tenant) and commercial.

Catherine is proud to be an old-style common law practioner covering a variety of fields of work rather than specialising in one. In recent years, her practice has included a substantial amount of housing work (mostly, but not exclusively, for landlords), and of anti-social behaviour cases (Magistrates and County Court), often dealing with complex legal issues. She also has extensive experience in personal injury work (claimant and defendant work, including cases involving severe disability) and in crime (prosecution and defence: past jury trials have included insurance fraud, kidnap, GBH and armed robbery). Born in Bolton, Catherine chose to do her degree at Lancaster in the days when Professor Peter Wallington (now a member of the Bar and a leading author in employment and other fields) was head of department, and was taught by (amongst others) Andrew McGee (now also at the Bar and author of McGee on Limitation). She has been a member of the Northern Circuit since 1988. Reported cases include: Ashworth Enquiry (phase 1; instructed by Mental Health Commission); Halford v Sharples (2nd junior for Police in later stages of tribunal hearing); R v Ormkirk JJ ex parte Battistini [1990] Crim LR 591; R v Knowsley MBC ex parte Keating [2004] EWHC 1933.

Called 1987.

Criminal Bar Association

Lancaster University (LLB). Inns of Court School of Law

Gardening, baking, avid reader, steampunker and womble.