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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)

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 acted as lead junior for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea throughout the Grenfell Tower Inquiry (led by James Maxwell-Scott KC).

During the Inquiry, she was 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 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 and a public body in the care sector.

In respect of inquests, she recently acted 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 related 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:

  • Instructed for a care home in respect of an inquest arising from the death of a resident following an unexplained arm injury.
  • Represented an organisation in respect of an inquest arising from a student suicide where the final call made by the deceased was to a call centre run by her client.
  • 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 services trying to support the student at the time of his death. Katie successfully argued that Article 2 did not apply.
  • Represented the CDM Client, AM Ltd, in a 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 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 an 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. The inquest involved considering whether Article 2 applied due to the involvement of a hybrid public authority.

Selected Cases

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Recommendations


“Katie is outstanding.”…”She is a go-to junior in health and safety who offers well-articulated advice in a timely manner.”…”Katie is fantastically organised and really astute on the key points of the law.”

Chambers & Partners, 2025

“Katie is exceptionally talented and very tactically astute.”…”Katie is an extremely thorough and safe pair of hands with an excellent eye for the details.”

Legal 500, 2025

“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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