2 Hare Court

Kate Blackwell KC is one of the UK’s leading silks specialising in criminal law and public inquiries.

Kate is sought after for high-profile cases and is instructed by leading firms of solicitors nationwide often on behalf of public figures. She has a formidable reputation as a first-class silk due to her skill, judgement and outstanding performance in serious and complex cases. The professional guides rank Kate as a “Tier 1” advocate.

Kate is tactically masterful. She accepts a high proportion of privately-funded instructions on behalf of high net-worth individuals and organisations facing criminal investigation. She has a daunting success rate for getting cases dismissed with pre-charge representations and is brought in to advise before a suspect is even interviewed.

Kate has been appointed Counsel to the Inquiry for the United Kingdom Covid Inquiry. She led Module 1 into the state of preparedness of the United Kingdom for a pandemic together with Hugo Keith KC. During the public hearings, Kate examined former prime minister David Cameron and former Chancellor George Osborne. Kate is currently leading the report writing for this Module and will return to the Inquiry next year to lead Module 11 into the effect of the pandemic on all public services. Media Link : The Guardian – Austerity not responsible for NHS weakness during Covid pandemic, says Cameron – video.

Kate provided legal advice to the Review Team conducting the Baroness Casey Review into the standards of behaviour and internal culture of the Metropolitan Police Service. The review discussed whether the Met’s leadership, recruitment, vetting, training, culture and communications supported the standards that the public should expect. It found that the organisation was institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic. Media Links: The Guardian – Metropolitan police found to be institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic | The Times – Baroness Casey review: Met Police has lost public faith, says report.

She represented NHS England in the Manchester Arena Inquiry into the 2017 Manchester Arena Terror Attack. Manchester Arena Inquiry.

Kate represented Serco in the Brook House Inquiry into the mistreatment of individuals who were detained at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre. Brook House Inquiry.

She was appointed by the Home Secretary as Leading Counsel to the Jermaine Baker Inquiry – an independent public inquiry into the shooting of Jermaine Baker during a Metropolitan Police Service operation. Jermaine Baker Inquiry.

Kate was Counsel to the Inquiry on the Gosport Memorial Hospital Inquiry into the treatment and care of elderly patients at the hospital which found there to have been a disregard for human life and a culture of shortening the lives of a large number of patients. Gosport Independent Panel Report.

Kate was Counsel to the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel, set up to address questions relating to police involvement in the murder of Daniel Morgan, the role played by police corruption and the incidence of corrupt connections between private investigators, police officers and journalists at the News of the World. Daniel Morgan Independent Panel Report.

She has an outstanding track record in having cases dismissed and winning jury trials.

Year of Call 1992; Northern Circuit; Appointed Crown Court Recorder 2009; Appointed King’s Counsel 2012; Deputy Head of Lincoln House Chambers 2016; Lincoln’s Inn Master of the Bench 2017.

Member of the Criminal Bar Association; Member of the Northern Circuit.