Katie Laura Jones > Kate Blackwell KC > Manchester, England > Barrister Profile

Katie Laura Jones

Work Department

Criminal Law
Immigration & Asylum Law
Judicial Review Law
Licensing
Prison Law
Professional Discipline
Regulatory

Position

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 both a Category 4 prosecutor, and a member of the RASSO panel.  Katie continues to practise in criminal law.

Since 2015, however, Katie has successfully expanded her practice into Regulatory law, which 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, having been appointed to the GMC’s full list of approved counsel in 2015.  She regularly appears on behalf of the GMC before the Interim Orders Tribunal, at Review hearings, and for Restoration cases, and is also instructed by the GMC to appear in the High Court, in relation to applications to extend Interim Orders.  Katie is a member of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers.

In addition, Katie sits 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, and she has been instructed by the Care Quality Commission before the First-Tier Tribunal (Care Standards).

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/educational background, as well as mental health issues, particularly where there is a cross over with areas of law or procedure with which she is very familiar, given her long standing criminal practice. 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.  As such, 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 with her Instructing Solicitor, to help them to ascertain if such written advice would be helpful in the context of their case.

Examples of cases conducted in recent years

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;

R v LL – defending – s18 Wounding – acquitted;

GMC v Dr G – representing the GMC before MPT – health case – conditions imposed on Dr’s registration;

GMC v Dr S – representing the GMC before MPT – caution – Dr suspended from register;

R v L – defending – s20 GBH – acquitted;

R v M – prosecuting – s18 Wounding – convicted;

Dr D – representing GMC before MPT – Conviction – Dr suspended from register;

Dr M – representing GMC before MPT – Misconduct (dishonesty) – Dr erased from register;

Dr S – representing GMC before MPT – Misconduct (dishonesty) – Dr suspended from register;

Dr A – representing GMC before MPT – Misconduct (dishonesty) – Dr suspended from register.

Career

Qualified Gray’s Inn 2003.

Memberships

Criminal Bar Association
Northern Circuit
Gray’s Inn

Education

Junior of the Northern Circuit (2008)
BVC, College of Law (2003)
Very Competent
Prince of Wales Scholar, Gray’s Inn (2002)
LLB, University of Birmingham, 2:1 (2001)

Leisure

Katie moved to Manchester in 2003 after securing pupillage here. In her spare time she enjoys
playing touch rugby, competing in triathlons and baking.