Criminal Regulatory & Environmental
Chris has over 10 years’ experience in the field of regulatory work. He is instructed by a number of local authorities with regard to their enforcement work and defends companies and individuals on a regular basis in the following areas:
- Corporate manslaughter.
- Prosecutions arising out of other serious breaches of health and safety legislation.
- Prosecutions arising out of water-based and air-based pollution.
- Litigation arising out of regulatory notices.
Selected Cases
- The defence of a construction company in relation to a death at work.
- The defence of a firm of auctioneers in relation to a death at premises for which they were responsible.
- The defence of a factory owner arising out of a death at a workplace.
- The defence of a local authority in a claim arising out of an incident of pollution for which it was responsible.
- The defence of an individual in relation to a prosecution arising out of an explosion during the course of demolition work.
- The prosecution of a football club as a result of the death of a young motorcyclist at their ground.
- The representation of a railway company in relation to the death of a child on railway property.
- The representation of a construction company at trial following the death of a builder on site.
- The representation of a local authority in proceedings to uphold an enforcement notice in relation to traffic movements.
- A successful appeal to the Court of Appeal to get further time for a company to pay the fine imposed on it following a fatality.
News
- Christopher Kennedy KC appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge
- Paxton Jones v Chichester Harbour Conservancy
Articles
Qualifications
- BA (Hons), Cambridge University
- Recorder of the Crown Court
Memberships
- Health & Safety Lawyer’s Association
- Personal Injury Bar Association
- Professional Negligence Bar Association
Recommendations
“He is fantastic on liability issues and has assisted in some incredibly complex cases.”
Chambers & Partners, 2024
‘Christopher is first-class with clients. His preparation is meticulous and he provides tactically astute advice. A brilliant advocate.’
Legal 500, 2024
“Absolutely fantastic – he is one of the greatest leaders in his field. He is very tenacious and an excellent advocate.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
“Very well respected across the board.”
Legal 500, 2022
“He has forensic attention to detail.” “Very intelligent and has excellent commercial awareness.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
“He is excellent on high-value and complex personal injury claims. He’s always extremely well prepared and approachable, and is a fantastic negotiator.” “He’s very good with clients and is able to present complex issues in a straightforward way.” “He has a lovely manner and is able to drill down into complex evidence without flustering witnesses and experts.”
Chambers & Partners, 2020
“Principally represents defendants, often on significantly high-value claims, though he also undertakes claimant work. His caseload encompasses catastrophic brain injury, RTAs and industrial disease claims, among others. “Detail-driven and an effective negotiator.” “An incisive thinker with an approachable and emphatic manner with clients. He is superb at breaking down the complex components of policy issues and his attention to detail in catastrophic personal injury claims is outstanding.”
Chambers & Partners, 2017
“An incisive thinker with an approachable and emphatic manner with clients. He is superb at breaking down the complex components of policy issues and his attention to detail in catastrophic personal injury claims is outstanding.”
Chambers & Partners, 2017
“He is very good on his feet: calm and considered, and absolutely on the point when cross-examining the witness” ; “he is excellent in conference and always meticulously well prepared” ; “he is nicely commercial and pragmatic. He doesn’t just give you a legal opinion – he also gives you a business opinion” ; “very easy to deal with, he goes the extra mile and is always approachable.”
Chambers & Partners, 2015
“Is especially highly regarded for his high-value defendant practice, acting in a large number of catastrophic brain injury and amputation cases. He’s detail-driven, and an effective negotiator.”
Chambers & Partners, 2014
“He tackles a broad range of claims, including those concerning employer’s liability, public liability, industrial disease and serious road traffic accidents.”
Chambers & Partners, 2013
“The ‘astute and unstuffy’ Christopher Kennedy KC is ‘courteous yet tough’, and ‘keeps his opponents on their toes’. His ‘written advice is concise and well thought-out’, say clients, and he is sought on the trickier catastrophic injury and quantum issues.”
Chambers & Partners, 2012
