"Her advice is clear, straight to the point and no-nonsense." Chambers UK 2023
"Karen is a highly persuasive advocate." Chambers UK 2023
Overview
An asset to any team, Karen Robinson brings keen intellect, shrewd judgement and class advocacy to every case.
Corporate & Financial
Karen Robinson prosecutes and defends in cases of corporate and financial crime. She has experience of prosecuting for the most significant financial crime prosecuting authorities and of defending senior parties against allegations of corruption. She has vast experience of HMRC MTIC fraud cases at all levels. She has expertise in an array of fraud and money laundering cases and is adept at dealing with the complexities that arise with them. Karen is an assured advocate who breeds confidence with her mastery of the complex, attention to detail and exacting standards; she is a crucial member of any team dealing with corporate and financial crime.
Crime
Karen Robinson prosecutes and defends in cases of serious and organised crime, as a sole and led junior. She covers the whole criminal spectrum including murder, drugs, armed robbery, human trafficking, terrorism and health and safety offences. She is frequently sought out for highly sensitive and complex matters.
Regulatory
Karen Robinson’s experience in the field of regulatory law is vast with instructions for both the prosecution and the defence across a variety of disciplines across many categories of hearing.
Reviews
Chambers UK 2024: Financial Crime - Band 3: Crime - Band 6
Legal 500 2024: Crime – Tier 4
Chambers UK 2023: Financial Crime - Band 3: Crime - Band 6
Legal 500 2023: Crime – Tier 4
Chambers High Net Worth 2019: Financial Crime: High Net Worth Individuals – Band 2
‘Karen is a brilliant senior junior. She is very hard working, down to earth, tenacious and has great strategic skills.’ Legal 500 Crime (2024)
"She is really thorough and detailed, able to hold her own and bring some joy to cases. She is a very good advocate." Chambers UK Financial Crime (2024)
'She's got terrific judgement, she's very practical and she's good with clients.' Chambers UK Crime (2024)
'Karen is a highly persuasive advocate' Chambers UK Financial Crime (2023)
'Her advice is clear, straight to the point and no-nonsense' Chambers UK Crime (2023)
‘She produces hugely compelling submissions in no time at all, and her strategic and tactical advice is always spot-on and hugely-appreciated by clients.’ Legal 500 Crime (2023)
'Extremely clever and hard-working. Very professional and efficient.' Chambers UK Financial Crime (2022)
'Karen is an extremely impressive barrister, who consistently demonstrates phenomenal drafting skils, insightful legal analysis and strategy, and an ability to produce extremely high-quality very quickly even in the middle of complex and fast-moving proceedings. She has rapidly become a go-to senior junior for any complex criminal case.' Legal 500 Crime (2022)
'Has a strong practice and is fully committed to her cases.' Chambers UK Crime (2021)
'A highly persuasive advocate with a calm and reassuring manner.' Chambers UK Financial Crime (2021)
'Karen is hugely hard-working, dedicated to her cases and persistent in securing the right result. She brings great organisational skill and thoroughness to her preparation and presentation of evidence. She has a terrific brain.' Legal 500 Crime (2021)
‘An exceptionally talented junior.’ Legal 500 Crime (2020)
‘Karen Robinson has significant experience with white-collar defence matters and handles major financial investigations in relation to fraud and regulatory issues’. ‘Very good and a top-level junior’. Chambers High Net Worth (2019)
Professional Memberships
- Association of Regulatory & Disciplinary Lawyers
- Criminal Bar Association
- South Eastern Circuit
Education
- Bar Vocational Course, Inns of Court School of Law
- MA, Law, Newnham College, Cambridge
- BA (Hons), Law, Newnham College, Cambridge
Recent Cases
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William Boyce KC and Karen Robinson prosecute man for 1991 murder, following his acquittal for the same offence.William Boyce KC and Karen Robinson prosecuted David Smith for the murder of Sarah Crump in 1991. Smith had been tried for, and acquitted of, t...
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The SFO offered no evidence and accepted liability for defence costs today in the trial against ex-Serco executives accused of providing false information to the Ministry of Justice under an offender-tagging contract. Two former executives at outsource...
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Simon Finch, a former defence worker has been jailed for disclosing “damaging” and top secret details of a UK missile system, which he initially claimed to have shared with “hostile states”. Karen Robinson was instructed by the Cro...
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In one of the most high profile of the oligarch disputes before an English Court, an application by Oleg Deripaska for permission to judicially review the DPP’s decision to take over and discontinue the private prosecution of their client, Vladimir ...
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William Boyce QC and Karen Robinson are instructed to defend one of the Senior Executives of Barclays as a result of the banks capital raising in 2008 and a US$3 Billion loan to Qatar.
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The fraud trial of four former Barclays executives began on 23/01.
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Crispin Aylett QC and Ben FitzGerald acted for Barclays plc and Barclays Bank plc.
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Karen Robinson prosecuted in connection with alleged breaches of Health & Safety legislation.
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Karen Robinson prosecutes two males alleged to have planned an attack on 10 Downing Street armed with an improvised bomb, suicide vest and knives.
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Karen Robinson is prosecuting a defendant accused of enlisting three men in a terrorist cell to help plan terrorist attacks in the UK.
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Karen Robinson prosecutes in joint police counter terrorism and ministry of defence operation.
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Karen Robinson prosecutes two males aged 26 in relation to funding the terror attack in Brussels airport.
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Zoe Johnson QC and Karen Robinson prosecuted a company and its director in connection with the death of two members of Fisherman's Friends, a group of singers.
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In February 2013 a large folding door collapsed at the GLive concert venue in Guildford.
News
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Chambers and Partners released their rankings for Financial Crime: High Net Worth Individuals and QEB Hollis Whiteman and its members are acknowledged as leaders in the field.Chambers is ranked as Band 1 and nine members of Chambers are ranked as leader...
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William Boyce KC and Karen Robinson prosecute man for 1991 murder, following his acquittal for the same offence.William Boyce KC and Karen Robinson prosecuted David Smith for the murder of Sarah Crump in 1991. Smith had been tried for, and acquitted of, t...
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Chambers and Partners released their rankings for Financial Crime: High Net Worth Individuals today and QEB Hollis Whiteman and its members are acknowledged as leaders in the field.Chambers is ranked as Band 1 with sources describing us as "a set of chamb...
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QEB Hollis Whiteman, Hickman & Rose and Peters & Peters hosted a webinar - The Serco Trial: What Went Wrong?In the webinar, the defence lawyers in the Serco prosecution considered the factors which led to the collapse of the case. Adrian Darbishire Q
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The SFO offered no evidence and accepted liability for defence costs today in the trial against ex-Serco executives accused of providing false information to the Ministry of Justice under an offender-tagging contract. Two former executives at outsource...
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William Boyce QC and Karen Robinson have written in The Lawyer about their recent experience of private prosecution in the case of Deripaska v Chernukhin and R (on the application of Deripaska) v DPP [2020].Bill and Karen consider the private prosecutor ...
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William Boyce QC and Karen Robinson represented Richard Boath, former head of Barclays Financial Institutions Group EMEA, who has been unanimously acquitted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court.Mr Boath faced allegations (in the alternative) of conspir...
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Chambers & Partners’ High Net Worth publication ranks the top lawyers and law firms for international private wealth.Its 2019 edition launched on Thursday 11th June and marks the first time that Chambers HNW has featured barristers who specialise in...
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The fraud trial of four former Barclays executives began on 23/01.
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Crispin Aylett QC and Ben FitzGerald acted for Barclays plc and Barclays Bank plc.
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Karen Robinson appeared on behalf of a 17 year old girl (16 at the time of the offence) accused of murdering a 23 year old man in an underpass in the Bretton area of Peterborough in May 2014. Four teenagers were found not guilty of all charges in connect...
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A professional trustee, who dishonestly managed the affairs of four trusts thereby depriving the beneficiaries of nearly £200,000.00 they were entitled to receive, was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment. Following a long and highly complex inquiry by the C...
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In 1999, the body of 28 year old Fatima Kama was found in a suitcase at Heathrow Airport. She had been repeatedly stabbed. By the time the defendant was identified as a suspect he had fled to the Levant. He subsequently changed his name and began a new...
Articles
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Dennis McGrory, 75, was imprisoned for the murder and rape of a 15-year-old girl in 1975. He was sentenced to Life, with a minimum term of 25 years, after his conviction in the oldest double jeopardy case in the legal history of England and Wales.William ...
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William Boyce QC and Karen Robinson have written in The Lawyer about their recent experience of private prosecution in the case of Deripaska v Chernukhin and R (on the application of Deripaska) v DPP [2020].Bill and Karen consider the private prosecutor ...
Corporate and Financial Crime
A real brain when it comes to corporate and financial crime; Karen Robinson is calm, meticulous, incisive and self-assured; she brings absolute confidence to a case.
Overview
Karen Robinson defends and prosecutes in cases of corporate and financial crime. She represents professional clients facing high-profile allegations of financial crime. She is ranked in Crime, Financial Crime and Financial Crime: High Net Worth Individuals by Chambers & Partners.
Experience
In 2021, Karen represented the former financial director of Serco Home Affairs charged with fraud and false accounting in proceedings brought by the SFO in respect of the operation of contracts with the Ministry of Justice for electronic tagging.
Karen was also part of the team which secured the acquittal of the former European head of Barclays' financial institutions group in criminal proceedings arising from the bank's capital raising from Qatar during the financial crisis.
Karen has been instructed by HMRC's MTIC team to present a large number of cases involving factually complex allegations of missing trader fraud before the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) and before the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber), often appearing against specialist practitioners in indirect tax law. In these, Karen has been instructed both as a sole junior and as a leading junior.
Karen has considerable experience of advising on legal professional privilege, investigatory powers and judicial review proceedings. She has particular experience and expertise in cases involving large-scale or contentious investigation or disclosure issues, and cases which concern specialist sectors.
Karen accepts instructions to advise, prosecute and defend individuals and companies in private prosecution proceedings. She brings her very considerable experience in prosecuting and defending serious and complex fraud and general crime to this specialist jurisdiction and is fully conversant with the particular duties, procedural requirements and practical issues which arise. She was recently instructed as part of the counsel team to advise on the viability of a private prosecution for fraud and money laundering offences in respect of the activities of a number of companies based outwith the UK. Karen has also acted for the DPP in judicial review proceedings brought by private prosecutors in respect of CPS decisions to take over and discontinue private prosecutions in respect of allegations of fraud and related activity.
Karen is familiar with asset recovery proceedings, including asset freezing and forfeiture, seizure and restraint, and confiscation proceedings. She has advised individuals, charitable organisations and corporates in respect of various aspects of the asset recovery regime, including moratorium extension orders and third party rights in confiscation proceedings.
Karen has acted in health and safety cases, including those involving allegations of corporate or gross negligence manslaughter. She has acted for the prosecution in proceedings against Devon & Cornwall Police for breaches of health and safety laws in relation to its use of emergency response belts as bite and spit guards, and against the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, in proceedings arising out of the shooting of an unarmed suspect. She has also advised in respect of the prosecution of a contractor following a death while working from height.
Karen has formed part of a QEB Hollis Whiteman team of specialist financial crime barristers and analysts managing regulatory obligations across several jurisdictions of a leading global bank. Her role included, amongst other duties, training bankers on regulatory requirements.
Notable Cases
R v NW and another (2021)Junior counsel for the acquitted former finance director of Serco Home Affairs, alleged to have been involved in devising a scheme to understate the true profitability of the company's contract in financial models submitted to the Ministry of Justice.R v RB and others (2017-2020)Junior counsel for the acquitted former European head of Barclays' financial institutions group, in an SFO prosecution relating to fees paid by Barclays to Qatar in the 2008 capital raisings.R (on the application of Deripaska) v DPP (2020)Junior counsel instructed by the Specialist Fraud Division of the CPS in Mr Deripaska's application to judicially review the DPP's decision to take over and discontinue his private prosecution for perverting the course of justice (by relying on false documents during the course of arbitration and Commercial Court proceedings between the two over the ownership of significant property holdings in Moscow).Umaad Butt v HMRC (2013-2019)Junior counsel instructed by HMRC in penalty proceedings against the director of a company alleged to have dishonestly evaded VAT.R v Chief Constable of Devon & Cornwall Police (2018-2019)Junior counsel instructed by the Special Crime Division of the CPS in proceedings against the police force of Devon & Cornwall for breaches of health and safety laws in relation to its use of emergency response belts as bite and spit guards.Reviews
Chambers UK 2023: Financial Crime - Band 3
Chambers High Net Worth 2021: Financial Crime: High Net Worth Individuals – Band 2
'Karen is a highly persuasive advocate' Chambers UK Financial Crime (2023)
''Extremely clever and hard-working. Very professional and efficient.' Chambers UK Financial Crime (2022)
"Karen Robinson is very, very good; she knows her stuff." Chambers High Net Worth 2021
'She is very impressive. She is hard-working, incredibly efficient and effective. I like working with her a lot. She anticipates what you're going to ask for an just gets on with doing it." Chambers High Net Worth 2021
'A highly persuasive advocate with a calm and reassuring manner.' Chambers UK Financial Crime (2021)
"Very good and a top level junior." Chambers High Net Worth 2019
‘Karen Robinson has significant experience with white-collar defence matters and handles major financial investigations in relation to fraud and regulatory issues’. ‘Very good and a top-level junior’. Chambers High Net Worth (2019)
Recent Cases
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The SFO offered no evidence and accepted liability for defence costs today in the trial against ex-Serco executives accused of providing false information to the Ministry of Justice under an offender-tagging contract. Two former executives at outsource...
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In one of the most high profile of the oligarch disputes before an English Court, an application by Oleg Deripaska for permission to judicially review the DPP’s decision to take over and discontinue the private prosecution of their client, Vladimir ...
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William Boyce QC and Karen Robinson are instructed to defend one of the Senior Executives of Barclays as a result of the banks capital raising in 2008 and a US$3 Billion loan to Qatar.
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The fraud trial of four former Barclays executives began on 23/01.
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Crispin Aylett QC and Ben FitzGerald acted for Barclays plc and Barclays Bank plc.
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Karen Robinson prosecuted in connection with alleged breaches of Health & Safety legislation.
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Zoe Johnson QC and Karen Robinson prosecuted a company and its director in connection with the death of two members of Fisherman's Friends, a group of singers.
News
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Chambers and Partners released their rankings for Financial Crime: High Net Worth Individuals and QEB Hollis Whiteman and its members are acknowledged as leaders in the field.Chambers is ranked as Band 1 and nine members of Chambers are ranked as leader...
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Chambers and Partners released their rankings for Financial Crime: High Net Worth Individuals today and QEB Hollis Whiteman and its members are acknowledged as leaders in the field.Chambers is ranked as Band 1 with sources describing us as "a set of chamb...
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QEB Hollis Whiteman, Hickman & Rose and Peters & Peters hosted a webinar - The Serco Trial: What Went Wrong?In the webinar, the defence lawyers in the Serco prosecution considered the factors which led to the collapse of the case. Adrian Darbishire Q
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William Boyce QC and Karen Robinson have written in The Lawyer about their recent experience of private prosecution in the case of Deripaska v Chernukhin and R (on the application of Deripaska) v DPP [2020].Bill and Karen consider the private prosecutor ...
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William Boyce QC and Karen Robinson represented Richard Boath, former head of Barclays Financial Institutions Group EMEA, who has been unanimously acquitted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court.Mr Boath faced allegations (in the alternative) of conspir...
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Chambers & Partners’ High Net Worth publication ranks the top lawyers and law firms for international private wealth.Its 2019 edition launched on Thursday 11th June and marks the first time that Chambers HNW has featured barristers who specialise in...
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The fraud trial of four former Barclays executives began on 23/01.
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Crispin Aylett QC and Ben FitzGerald acted for Barclays plc and Barclays Bank plc.
Articles
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William Boyce QC and Karen Robinson have written in The Lawyer about their recent experience of private prosecution in the case of Deripaska v Chernukhin and R (on the application of Deripaska) v DPP [2020].Bill and Karen consider the private prosecutor ...
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A well regarded junior with considerable experience across the full spectrum of general crime, Karen Robinson continues to stand out.
Overview
Karen Robinson prosecutes and defends in cases of serious and organised crime, as a sole and led junior. She covers the whole criminal spectrum including murder, drugs, armed robbery, human trafficking, terrorism and health and safety offences. She is frequently sought out for highly sensitive and complex matters.
Experience
Karen Robinson’s experience in the field of general crime extends to a vast array of offences both for the prosecution and for the defence. The mainstay of her practice is in serious and organised crime where she has prosecuted and defended charges that have included: murder (including ‘baby-shaking’), rape, high value drug offences, human trafficking, armed robbery, terrorism and health and safety offences.
Recent highlights have included her experience in police corruption cases; she has prosecuted where it has been alleged that public servants disclosed confidential information to journalists or members of the public. Karen has also recently acted as sole counsel for a defendant charged with rape who was acquitted despite having a previous conviction for a similar offence.
Karen is particularly adept at tackling difficult and often sensitive legal issues. She has expertise in cases involving complex disclosure issues, PII and third party material. She has experience in obtaining mutual legal assistance from a foreign judicial authority. She has also dealt with cases where the mental health of the defendant has been in issue.
Karen’s vast experience has meant that she is often asked to train others in the industry on the areas that she has worked in. She has lectured to police officers and prosecution lawyers on the prosecution of controlling prostitution and trafficking offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, to local government lawyers on directed surveillance and covert human intelligence sources, and has provided web-based training in the provisions of the Bribery Act 2010.
Karen’s criminal fraud caseload includes large-scale trust fraud, VAT fraud and money laundering. She has been instructed in respect of cases investigated by the MPS and City of London economic crime departments. Karen prosecuted as a sole junior a four-handed trial at the Central Criminal Court involving allegations of credit card fraud with an estimated loss exceeding £600,000. She has developed considerable experience in associated proceedings, including confiscation, restraint and forfeiture.
Karen has significant experience in both the prosecution and defence of motoring, and related, offences at all levels of seriousness, including: speeding; driving with excess alcohol or drugs; driving with no insurance; failure to provide details following an accident; HGV and tachograph offences; driving without due care and attention; dangerous driving; causing serious injury by dangerous driving; and causing death by dangerous driving.
Karen is a Grade 4 prosecutor. She is regularly instructed by the specialist headquarter divisions of the CPS, including the Homicide Division, the Special Crime Division, the Organised Crime Division and the Counter Terrorism Division.
Where a case requires focus, dedication and polished and determined advocacy, Karen is the ideal junior.
Notable Cases
R v McFly (2012)
Karen Robinson acted as junior counse in the successful prosecution of Cameron McFly for the "brutal, senseless and cowardly" murder of a vulnerable victim whom he had lured to a darkened alley before carrying out a sustained assault upon him.R v Wahid (2011)
Junior Counsel for the prosecution of Mr Wahid who denied that he was responsible for Ms Kama's death, Fatima Kama was found in a suitcase at Heathrow Airport.R v MK & Or's (2010)
Prosecution counsel in a Flying Squad operation. Six handed conspiracy.R v S & Or's (2009)
Junior prosecution counsel in the trial of four defendants (including a solicitor and a conveyancing clerk) charged with conspiracy to defraud and money laundering in respect of the sale of a property belonging to an innocent third party.Review
Chambers UK 2023: Crime - Band 6
Legal 500 2023: Crime – Tier 4
'Her advice is clear, straight to the point and no-nonsense' Chambers UK Crime (2023)
‘She produces hugely compelling submissions in no time at all, and her strategic and tactical advice is always spot-on and hugely-appreciated by clients.’ Legal 500 Crime (2023)
'Karen is an extremely impressive barrister, who consistently demonstrates phenomenal drafting skils, insightful legal analysis and strategy, and an ability to produce extremely high-quality very quickly even in the middle of complex and fast-moving proceedings. She has rapidly become a go-to senior junior for any complex criminal case.' Legal 500 Crime (2022)
'Has a strong practice and is fully committed to her cases.' Chambers UK Crime (2021)
'Karen is hugely hard-working, dedicated to her cases and persistent in securing the right result. She brings great organisational skill and thoroughness to her preparation and presentation of evidence. She has a terrific brain.' Legal 500 Crime (2021)
‘An exceptionally talented junior.’ Legal 500 Crime (2020)
Recent Cases
-
William Boyce KC and Karen Robinson prosecute man for 1991 murder, following his acquittal for the same offence.William Boyce KC and Karen Robinson prosecuted David Smith for the murder of Sarah Crump in 1991. Smith had been tried for, and acquitted of, t...
-
The SFO offered no evidence and accepted liability for defence costs today in the trial against ex-Serco executives accused of providing false information to the Ministry of Justice under an offender-tagging contract. Two former executives at outsource...
-
Simon Finch, a former defence worker has been jailed for disclosing “damaging” and top secret details of a UK missile system, which he initially claimed to have shared with “hostile states”. Karen Robinson was instructed by the Cro...
-
Karen Robinson prosecutes two males alleged to have planned an attack on 10 Downing Street armed with an improvised bomb, suicide vest and knives.
-
Karen Robinson is prosecuting a defendant accused of enlisting three men in a terrorist cell to help plan terrorist attacks in the UK.
-
Karen Robinson prosecutes in joint police counter terrorism and ministry of defence operation.
-
Karen Robinson prosecutes two males aged 26 in relation to funding the terror attack in Brussels airport.
-
In February 2013 a large folding door collapsed at the GLive concert venue in Guildford.
News
-
William Boyce KC and Karen Robinson prosecute man for 1991 murder, following his acquittal for the same offence.William Boyce KC and Karen Robinson prosecuted David Smith for the murder of Sarah Crump in 1991. Smith had been tried for, and acquitted of, t...
-
Dennis McGrory, 75, was imprisoned for the murder and rape of a 15-year-old girl in 1975. He was sentenced to Life, with a minimum term of 25 years, after his conviction in the oldest double jeopardy case in the legal history of England and Wales.William ...
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Regulatory
An established junior in the field of professional discipline, Karen Robinson is instructed by regulators and professionals alike for her vast knowledge, commitment and commanding advocacy.
Overview
Karen Robinson’s experience in the field of regulatory law is vast with instructions for both the prosecution and the defence across a variety of disciplines across many categories of hearing.
Experience
Karen has considerable experience of regulatory and disciplinary proceedings. She has been instructed to appear in the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT), the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), the General Dental Council (GDC), the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the General Social Care Council (GSCC) (including allegations of social workers being under the influence of alcohol on duty and allegations of social workers making inappropriate sexual advances towards vulnerable service users). As well as her experience of a variety of tribunals she also has experience of a vast range of allegations and type of hearing.
Karen has experience of both prosecuting and defending at professional disciplinary hearings: she has presented on behalf of the General Medical Council, the GDC and the GSCC; she has presented and defended at the NMC; and she has defended at the SDT (including allegations that a solicitor failed to fulfil an undertaking). Karen also has experience of police discipline and has advised the Independent Police Complaints Commission in relation to whether proceedings should be brought against various officers.
Karen’s experience means that she is often asked to lecture in this field, for example: she has lectured lawyers from the Royal College of Nursing on the topic of developments in the law surrounding applications for interim suspension orders.
Because of Karen’s expertise in both crime and professional regulation, she is able to conduct and manage cases that have investigations running in tandem across both fields. She also has experience of inquests is of benefit where an investigation or allegation involves a death and leads to proceedings in the Coroner’s Court.