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Katie Sage

Call 2014

“A real star in the making. Ferociously bright and hardworking, and with incredible powers of recall combined with an intuition for wider case strategy."
(Legal 500, 2023)

Katie is an established criminal regulatory, inquests and inquiries practitioner and is ranked as a leading junior in Chambers & Partners in these areas.

She has experience acting in criminal regulatory cases spanning a wide range of industries a including construction, retail, agriculture, management and maintenance of buildings and waste management. She has acted in cases defending both individuals and organisations. She also regularly acts as junior counsel in high-profile cases including defending Serco Ltd in a 17-day Newton Hearing arising from the first death of a custody officer at the hands of a prisoner during a control and restraint procedure in the UK and acting for the company in the corporate manslaughter prosecution of Greenfeeds Ltd. She is now instructed in respect of the December 2022 Haut De Mont explosion in Jersey and the Beechmere Extra Care Facility fire in Cheshire in 2019.

Dovetailing with her criminal regulatory work, Katie is regularly instructed in jury inquests involving deaths at work. She has also acted in inquests involving deaths of residents of registered social housing and care homes, the latter where CQC investigations are ongoing. She recently represented a Russell Group university in respect of an inquest arising from a student suicide.

As with her criminal regulatory practice, she also acts as junior counsel in complex and high-profile public inquiries and inquests. Katie represents the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. She is also instructed in the COVID-19 Inquiry and in the inquest arising from the Forbury Gardens Terror Attack.

Prior to joining Chambers, Katie was employed on the Civil Service Fast Stream where she gained valuable public and commercial sector experience through her roles in communication, legislative reform and international trade.

Outside of work, Katie is a keen tag rugby player and was part of the world cup winning Women’s Over 30s team at the 2023 World Cup.

 

Health & Safety

Katie is an experienced health and safety practitioner and is ranked as a leading junior in this area in Chambers & Partners.

Katie has particular expertise advising on fire safety and the application of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. She regularly advises organisations on fire safety across multi-building property estates.

She also edits the chapter on building control and approved inspectors’ liability under the Building Act 1980 and the new Building Safety Act 2022 in Emden on Construction Law.

 

Notable health and safety cases include:

  • Instructed in respect of the Haut De Mont explosion in Jersey in December 2022 (led by Simon Antrobus KC and Mike Atkins).
  • Represented Serco Ltd (led by James Maxwell-Scott KC) in a prosecution under s. 2 HSWA 1974. Serco Ltd pleaded guilty on a basis that was not agreed. The resulting Newton Hearing lasted for 17 days. This was an unusual case which examined the circumstances of the first death of a custody officer at the hands of a prisoner during a control and restrain procedure in this jurisdiction. You can read more about the case here.
  • Represented Greenfeeds Ltd (led by Mark Balysz KC) in the corporate manslaughter prosecution arising from two deaths at work in a confined space.
  • Represented Stoneforce Ltd at two pre-trial hearings in the TopShop/Arcadia prosecution relating to the tragic death of a 10-year-old boy at a TopShop store in Reading in February 2017 (led by Dominic Kay KC).
  • Represented NR, director of a roofing company, in a prosecution arising from two employees suffering falls from height during roof works. NR pleaded guilty and the HSE sought a custodial sentence which was avoided. NR was sentenced to community service.
  • Represented various manufacturing businesses in cases arising out of failures to properly guard moving parts of a machine.

 

Notable fire safety cases include:

  • Instructed for the property management company in the fire safety prosecution arising out of the Beechmere Extra Care Facility fire in August 2019 (led by Mark Balysz KC).
  • Advised HM Government on fire safety and health and safety risks across different property estates.
  • Advised a mobile network operator in respect of the fire risk assessment requirements for 14,000 sites across England.
  • Advised in respect of fire safety on the Hinckley Point C construction site, currently one of the largest construction projects taking place in the UK.
  • Represents the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the MPS investigation arising out of the Grenfell Tower fire.

 

Notable regulatory and road traffic cases:

  • Represented an individual in a sentencing hearing arising out of a road traffic offence.
  • Represented individuals in trial preparation hearings in respect of road traffic offence prosecutions, including death by dangerous and death by careless driving.
  • Represented a management company being prosecuted for a statutory nuisance under s. 82 Environmental Protection Act 1990.
  • Represented SBS Ltd and its director in an local authority advertising license prosecution under s. 224 of Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
  • Represented RK Ltd, a London based restaurant, for the plea and sentencing hearing in a local authority planning prosecution relating to the breach of a condition notice under 187A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
  • Represented FC Ltd in a CQC prosecution following the death of a resident of their care home who was crushed under a fire door.
  • Instructed for MF Ltd in respect of a noise abatement notice appeal against the local authority.
  • Advised O Ltd on the application of the COVID-19 regulations in respect of a fixed penalty notice where an employee had returned from a red-list country through an incorrect port.
  • Representing Thames Water who were prosecuting a company for the use of an illegal standpipe.
  • Represented C Ltd, a property management company, at the pre-trial stages of what is understood to be the first prosecution by a local authority arising from a failure to comply with an improvement notice served under the Housing Act 2004 in respect of the removal of a cladding system.

Criminal Regulatory & Environmental

Please see the Health & Safety section of Katie’s profile for her criminal regulatory experience.

Inquests & Public Inquiries

Katie is ranked as a leading junior by Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners in this area. She has significant experience of public inquiries and inquests.

She is lead junior for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the ongoing Grenfell Tower Inquiry (led by James Maxwell-Scott KC).

During the Inquiry, she has been closely involved in advising on strategy and approach, including advising on the impact of the Charter for Families Bereaved through Public Tragedy (also known as the Hillsborough Charter) and how that affects a Core Participant in such proceedings. Katie has advised on matters relating to Building Control and to the fire safety management of high-rise residential buildings, including the application of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in circumstances where a building is managed for the freeholder by a management organisation. She was closely involved in drafting written and oral opening and closing submissions, submissions relating to post-incident changes at RBKC and questions for witnesses. She also devised and managed significant parts of the disclosure and review strategy, including in respect of LPP documents.

She is instructed in the COVID-19 Inquiry by a corporate client.

In respect of inquests, so is instructed for Reading Borough Council in the inquest arising out of the Forbury Gardens Terror Attack in June 2020 (led by Simon Antrobus KC). The issues for the local authority relate to the provision of adult social care, the interaction with secondary mental health services and the discharge of their PREVENT duty.

Katie’s has also represented organisations across a variety of sectors and her recent experience includes:

  • Represented a Russell Group University in respect of a student suicide case. At the conclusion of the inquest, the coroner expressly stated that she had no criticisms to make of the university, who had several arms trying to support the student.
  • Represented the CDM Client, AM Ltd, in a 5-day jury inquest relating to the death of a scaffolder who fell from height through a fragile roof.
  • Represented a local authority in respect of the death of an elderly resident who was being provided with social care by the local authority’s adult social care team.
  • Instructed for KCH Ltd in an inquest involving the death of a resident of their care home after an unobserved fall (CQC prosecution outstanding).
  • Represented S Ltd in a 3-day jury inquest where their employee had died when he fell from a tail lift during a loading operation and suffered crush injuries (EHO prosecution outstanding).
  • Represented EM Ltd in relation to a jury inquest arising out of the death of one of their workers as a result of a fall from height.
  • Represented HG Ltd, a Registered Social Provider in a 5-day inquest arising out of the death of one of their residents where the conclusion of “unlawful killing” was considered in respect of one of HG Ltd’s former employee.

During the course of these inquests, Katie has gained experience advising on and making submissions in relation to whether an inquest should be an Article 2 inquest; neglect; disclosure obligations; expert evidence and witnesses; and using the inquest as a mechanism to bring out the policies and procedures in place in workplace cases.

News


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Articles


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Events


Qualifications


  • BPTC, Outstanding
  • BCL
  • BA (Hons) Oxon, First Class
  • Hardwicke Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
  • Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
  • Buchanan Prize, Lincoln’s Inn
  • Sir Roger Bannister Scholarship, Pembroke College
  • Pembroke College Exhibition

Memberships


  • HSLA
  • South Eastern Circuit

 

Recommendations


“Katie is never phased by complex and large-scale issues that require a detailed analysis.”…”She does a lot of our cases because she’s very reliable and very diligent.”

Chambers & Partners 2024 (Health & Safety, Leading Junior)

“She is excellent in conference, very well prepared and thorough, and gives very reasoned and sensible advice, which is carefully explained to clients. She’s happy to support her instructing solicitor throughout the case and is excellent in court.”… “Her written work is fantastic; she’s good with clients, assertive and very self-assured.” … “Katie is a really clear communicator, who has an excellent grasp on the law but is really commercial with it.”

Chambers & Partners, 2024 (Inquests & Inquiries, Leading Junior)

“Katie is very thorough. Excellent in conference with clients and experts, she is an outstanding advocate.”

Legal 500, 2024 (Inquests & Inquiries, Leading Junior)

“Katie is very attentive and good with clients.” …”She is very thorough.”

Chambers & Partners, 2023 (Health & Safety, Up and Coming Junior)

“Katie is exceptional. She is really quick and intelligent, and has incredible analytical skills.”

Chambers & Partners, 2023 (Inquests & Inquiries, Up and Coming Junior)

“A real star in the making. Ferociously bright and hardworking, and with incredible powers of recall combined with an intuition for wider case strategy. Clients love her for taking the time to understand the finer detail of a case, and quickly making herself indispensable to the team. There is no doubt she will be a highly sought after barrister in the years to come.”

Legal 500, 2023 (Inquests & Inquiries, Leading Juniors)

“A rising star who has really strengthened the junior end of her set.”

Legal 500 2021 and 2022 (Consumer Law, Rising Star)


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