Public Law

Kat joined Duncan Lewis in September 2008 initially in the Immigration Department and later joined the Public Law Department. Kat first studied Law and Politics at Cardiff University and then the BVC at Cardiff Law School before being called to the Bar in 2008. Kat qualified as a solicitor in 2011 under the Qualified Lawyers Transfer scheme.

Kat has gained a broad range of experience whilst in the Public Law Department and amongst other Judicial Reviews has dealt with urgent challenges to removal; challenges to unlawful detention; challenges to refusals of Article 8 applications where no right of appeal has been granted; challenges to adjournments made in the Magistrates Court; and challenges to the failure of the UK government to follow its own declared policies, or abide by their duties under European law leading to the prosecution of an undocumented asylum seeker for entering the United Kingdom without documents despite having a claim for asylum and a defence under S31 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Kat has also advised a client in respect of their committal hearing for breach of a court order resulting in a hearing as to whether or not he should be in imprisoned for contempt of court and advised two potential claimants in respect of a challenge against the GMC regarding the implementation of NICE guidelines.

More recently she has expanded her range of practice by taking on criminal judicial review matters. This has included a challenge to a decision to continue with the prosecution of a minor after a lengthy and unjustified adjournment of the case leaving the threat of conviction hanging over the client's head and is assisting a Director in a landmark case regarding the prosecution of an undocumented asylum seeker on arrival at a UK airport before any consideration was given to their asylum application.

Kat has also assisted clients in respect of matters arising out of judicial reviews such as issuing urgent interim relief (injunction) applications; preparing, lodging and conducting Court of Appeal applications; advising clients on damage applications following the ZO (Somalia) litigation; actions for damages stemming from successful Judicial Review claims; challenges to unlawful detention and similarly advising on actions for damages in respect of the unlawful detention Kat directly assisted the Director with conduct of the landmark Court of Appeal case of Bahta & Ors v SSHD [2011] EWCA Civ 895, which dealt with costs following the Lord Jackson Report on the Review of Civil Litigation Costs. She is also directly assisting the Director with conduct of the case in Negassi v SSHD [2011] EWHC 386 (Admin), the lead case on damages following the ZO (Somalia) permission to work litigation, currently under appeal in the Court of Appeal. Kat also has cases pending in the European Court of Human Rights, one which deals with the breach of disabled persons Article 3 rights when removing them to Afghanistan and the second of which deals with Article 8 right to family life.

Kat has written articles for the Duncan Lewis Public Law Newsletter and more recently the Crime Newsletter.

Kat is qualified at Level 2 under the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme. Kat conducts her own advocacy in the Tribunal and often makes written submissions to the High Court in Judicial Review Applications.

Kat regularly takes part in charity sporting events, and has recently completed her first marathon (London) raising nearly £2000 for Afghanaid. Kat is a keen cyclist and is about to complete her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. She regularly travels to France, visiting a different area each time and speaks conversational French