Catherine Brown

Barrister Profile

Catherine has a specialist personal injury and health and safety law practice. She has a particular expertise in local authority claims including highways law, educational negligence / bullying claims, stress at work cases and claims arising out of child sexual abuse. Her experience in health and safety law means that she is instructed by defendants in complex and high profile inquests and health and safety prosecutions, as well as in associated civil claims. 

Catherine also regularly acts for claimants, in particular those who have suffered serious brain and / or spinal injuries and in clinical negligence actions. She will accept appropriate cases on a conditional fee basis. 

In addition to personal injury claims and health and safety cases, Catherine deals with many claims arising out of nuisance, disrepair and other property related issues and professional negligence claims. 

Catherine is recognised as a "Leading Junior" in Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 (Personal Injury). 

In Chambers & Partners 2012, Catherine was praised for her "sound judgement and focus" and was commended for having skills associated with a far more senior advocate. 

In previous editions, she was respected for her "detailed and comprehensive" approach and the fact that she was "ever-prepared to make hard decisions." Catherine "is widely held out as one of the leading personal injury juniors on the circuit" who is well known for her "tenacious cross-examination." Fellow barristers note that she is "tough but sensible - she will hold her line but never if it is a foolish one." 

She has also described as “clued up” and “regularly briefed on important personal injury cases”. The entry continues by saying that she is “a tenacious trial lawyer and a formidable opponent who is outstanding on large stress claims”. Clients have described Catherine as an “exceptional cross-examiner” and “always extremely supportive of her clients”. 

Catherine is an advocacy and ethics trainer at the annual South East Circuit International Advocacy Course at Keble College, Oxford.

Appointments

Recorder 2008 (Crime and Civil – Wales Circuit)
Barrister member of the BSB Professional Conduct Committee since 2009.

Qualifications

University of Birmingham; B.Com (Commerce)
Polytechnic of Central London; Diploma in Law

Professional Membership

Personal Injuries Bar Association
Professional Negligence Bar Association 
Health and Safety Lawyers Association
South Eastern Circuit
Middle Temple
Association of Women Barristers

Interesting Cases

R v Collier (2012) Mold Crown Court - gross negligence manslaughter of builder responsible for defective retaining wall (D) (led by Ronald Walker QC) 

R v Menna (2012) Luton Crown Court - ss2 & 3 HSWA 1974 – prosecution arising out of murder of care worker by resident with bi-polar affective disorder (D2) (led by Ronald Walker QC) 

Grimes v City of Sunderland College (2012) Newcastle upon Tyne CC – occupational stress claim arising out of second breakdown following return to work (D) 

Armstrong v Keepmoat Homes Ltd & 2 others QBD, Newcastle upon Tyne DR 3/2/12 (Lawtel LTL 14/2/12) - local authority not liable either under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957, or at common law, for injuries caused to a child who had crossed a dual carriageway by accessing it from local authority land through a gap in a fence (D2&3)
 
Thomas v Warwickshire CC [2011] EWHC 772 (QB) - Liability of highway authority to cyclist for concrete deposit on highway - scope of section 41 Highways Act 1980 (D) 

Haynes v North Wiltshire DC QBD, Bristol DR 4/3/11 - Claim for harassment and stress related illness against local authority employer (D) 

Rhiya Malin Inquest (Verdict 15/12/10) - Death of 2 year old as a result of neck entrapment in a playhouse at a private nursery (Nursery / Employees) 

Button v Caerphilly CBC [2010] EWCA Civ 1311 - Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1992 and definition of "traffic route" - importance of oral submissions (D) 

Harvey v Plymouth CC [2010] EWCA Civ 860; [2010] P.I.Q.R.P18 - Occupier did not owe duty to a person who acted outside the scope of any implied permission and was therefore not a visitor to the land in question at the time of the accident (D) (led by Edward Faulks QC) 

R (Malin) v Crown Prosecution Service [2010] EWHC 1255 (Admin) - Judicial review of decision not to prosecute for manslaughter in case of 2 year old who died at a private nursery (Interested Party) 

Harries & Others v Powys CC (Settlement 14/1/09) Three linked work related stress claims by social workers (D) 

Cunningham-Jones (deceased) v (1) EST Bus Co. & (2) Vale of Glamorgan (settlement 19/11/2007) - Issue of whether a local authority/school owes a duty of care to a pupil on a school bus ( claim discontinued against D2) (D2) 

Jones v Caerphilly CBC [Cardiff CC (Judge Hickinbottom) 7/4/2006] Lawtel LTL 30/8/2006 – No jurisdiction to consider a former employee's claim for breach of an implied term of trust and confidence in an employment contract where the matters raised by the claim had previously been determined by an employment tribunal in a finding that the employee had been unfairly dismissed (D) 

Maloney v Torfaen CBC [2005] EWCA Civ 1762; [2006] PIQR P21; Times 10/1/06 – No liability under OLA 1984 to tenant taking short-cut who fell into unfenced pedestrian subway and suffered brain injury (D) 

Allison v Brighton & Hove City Council [2005] EWCA Civ 548 – Claimant penalised in costs for inflation of claim (D) 

S (a patient) v Boswell (QBD) [Lawtel LTLPI 26/5/05] – Claimant awarded substantial damages in PVS claim (C) 

Wallis v Balfour Beatty [2003] EWCA Civ 72 – Foreseeability of employee risking his own safety in performance of his duties (D) 

Wedlake v West Somerset DC [Current Law 03/2070] – Meaning of “house in multiple occupation” (D) 

Goose v Wilson Sandford (No.2) [2001] Lloyds Reports PN 189 – Accountant’s negligence: claims for alleged fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and constructive trust (D) (led by Ronald Walker QC) 

Burrows v Vauxhall Motors [1998] PIQR P48 –Costs and payments into court (C) (led by Timothy Stow QC)