Katharine Blackburn

Katharine is a Senior Associate (Barrister) with over 17 years’ experience. She left the Criminal Bar in 2005 to join the Professional Regulatory Team as a case manager and advocate and is now a professional support lawyer for the team.

Main areas of practice

Katharine works exclusively in professional regulation. Her work has included advising clients on the evidential and public interest tests in bringing allegations, writing advisory reports and, where appropriate, drafting charges.

She has appeared before committees of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, General Dental Council, General Osteopathic Council and General Optical Council and has advised professional regulators in the healthcare, education and accountancy sectors.

Katharine spent a number of years working for clients who have outsourced to us their investigation, analysis and decision making in relation to a large volume of cases in which misconduct and/or deficient professional performance has been alleged. She has advised on the appropriate outcome (closure with no further action, closure with advice or referral for hearing) applying the threshold criteria within the context of the regulator’s Standard of Conduct and Ethics.

Katharine has also assisted regulators in the drafting of their rules and protocols and has assisted in training members of conduct committees.

As the team’s professional support lawyer, Katharine is responsible for the team’s knowledge management database, training, editing the monthly email bulletin and overseeing the mentoring of the team’s more junior lawyers.

Clients

She has experience working with a range professional regulatory bodies including:

• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
• General Dental Council
• General Optical Council
• General Osteopathic Council
• General Pharmaceutical Council
• Nursing and Midwifery Council

Expertise

• Regulatory, Disciplinary & Compliance
• Advising Regulators

Career

Katharine has an LL.B (Hons) in Law and French, and was called to the Bar in November 1998.