Introduction
Jane is an exceptional and highly experienced barrister with a proven track record of success in prosecution and defence advocacy, specialising in regulatory and criminal work. She has particular expertise and interest in Information and Data Privacy Law, with first-hand experience of helping organisations implement strategies to ensure compliance and providing practical and accessible training, incisive advice and robust representation in this area.
She is exemplary in her ability to analyse, prepare and present cases, being able to communicate and negotiate, manage and work with others, plan and organise workloads and give appropriate legal advice. With a keen and analytical mind, Jane is ideal for those cases which require an eye for the presentation of complex material in user friendly form
Jane is passionate about the common law adversarial system in this country and is motivated by her keen sense of justice. Jane excels in communication with those who are particularly vulnerable. She is a tenacious but efficient and effective advocate, with the ability to alter her approach according to the nature of the case. She is highly practical, commercially aware and, when necessary, pragmatic.
Information and Data Privacy
Between October 2016 and February 2018, Jane took an in-house position working on secondment for Cadent Gas Limited in their General Counsel team where she dealt with many aspects of the business including Health and Safety, Business Conduct, the Environmental Information Regulation and Data Privacy. Embedded within a Company for over a year, Jane has the advantage of understanding the commercial pressures and requirements of a highly regulated business, and the need to find solutions that satisfy all stakeholders.
Whilst at Cadent, she played a major role in creating and implementing a series of strategies to ensure the company was ready for the changes in the Data Privacy legislation including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the e-privacy directive. Drawing on this experience, Jane has gone on to study this area of law extensively. She is an accredited EU General Data Protection Regulation Practitioner, recognised by the International Board for IT Governance Qualifications. She is frequently approached for comment by the press on developments in this area.
Jane has addressed solicitor audiences and audiences comprised of solicitors’ commercial clients on the topic of General Data Protection Regulation, provided bespoke advice to private and public sector organisations on compliance and their obligations in this area and has devised and delivered training material on data law. She has advised both those seeking to make and resist SARs, advised as to liability and quantum in situations where data breaches are alleged and has appeared on behalf of interested parties in proceedings before the First Tier Tribunal, some of which have involved the ICO.
Inquests & Coronial
Between 1998 and 2004 Jane was Assistant Deputy Coroner for West Midlands (Coventry) and has since gained a considerable experience in dealing with inquests within the Midlands area. Over the years she has represented many families of the deceased, but she has also successfully represented the interests of the Fire Service, local authorities, and those working within the health services. She is fully conversant in Article 2 inquests and those conducted with and without juries, and advising on the prospects of appealing any decision made by the Court. Her experience is such that she has given a number of talks on Coronial Law.
Health & Safety, Corporate & Gross Negligence Manslaughter
Jane is instructed to prosecute Health and Safety matters by a number of local authorities within the Midlands area.
In Defending such actions she has experience in scaffolding falls and prosecutions arising from other accidents at work. Notably in 2017 she represented a local authority when they were prosecuted for an accident caused by an employee in which a member of the public was seriously injured.
She also has experience of defending criminal proceedings brought for noise pollution requiring analysis of a significant and intricate scientific data and for water pollution, including one case in which substantial damage was caused to the treatment centre supplying water to the district.
Trading Standards, Consumer Protection and Food Safety
Jane has a successful and developing practice in this area, which includes provision of pre-charge advice to those prosecuting, and a very ‘hands on’ approach to shaping the case, building the file, and presentation of the case to the court. She has been involved from the beginning in a number of successful prosecutions in which Defendants have targeted the old and vulnerable.
Jane is regularly instructed in both the prosecution and defence of counterfeit goods cases and has had successful outcomes in terms of both results and the related confiscation hearings.
Consumer Protection is a growing area of Jane’s practice, and she has experience in both advising pre-charge, prosecution and in defending.
Crime
Jane has significant experience in both defending and prosecuting cases in the Crown Court. She is a grade 4 prosecutor. Her experience includes cases of murder(represented Client as a Junior alone), violence, serious fraud, supply of drugs, and serious sexual offending. She has a wealth of experience in dealing with those who are vulnerable and frail due to age illness or disability, and requiring the use of a intermediary. To that end she has recently insured an elderly defendant charged with serious sexual offences, was found not fit to plead by virtue of the effects of his dementia type condition.
Jane has a keen interest in Fraud and POCA cases in which she can use her analytical skills. She is instructed by Local Councils and RART and has successfully prosecuted a number of multi handed cases to final hearing.
Education
Manchester University – Joint Honours in Pharmacology and Psychology
The College of Law – Common Professional Examination
International Board for IT Governance Qualifications – ‘EU GDPR Practitioner’
