Catherine is a member of the Housing and Civil Teams. Since coming to the bar, she has built up extensive experience in a range of courts and tribunals, including the Court of Appeal, and has dedicated her practice to defending individuals' economic, social and human rights.
Housing Law
Overview
Catherine's housing practice spans the whole range of tenancy and housing matters, includes possession (anti-social behaviour, rent, breach of tenancy, tenancy status, sub-letting, succession, beneficial interests, public law), anti-social behaviour injunctions, unlawful eviction, and disrepair.
Catherine is regularly instructed in complex possession trials, especially those involving mental health issues, where she brings to bear her extensive knowledge of disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. She also acts and advises in the whole range of homelessness work, including county court appeals and claims for judicial review. She regularly advises and acts in cases where capacity is an issue including where the Official Solicitor has been appointed.
Notable Cases
Lawal & Anor v Circle 33 Housing Trust [2014] EWCA Civ 1514
Save in exceptional circumstances an Article 8 defence ought to be raised during the possession proceedings and in particular at the trial. To raise an Article 8 argument at the enforcement stage, when it could and should have been raised earlier, will almost always be an abuse of process.
