Colette Renton

Year of Call: 2015, Middle Temple

CR 2023 07 31 155424 jevr
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Colette is an established and versatile practitioner, specialising in Regulatory and Criminal work.

Regulatory

Colette is instructed by regulators, public bodies, insurers, companies and individuals. She has a specialised regulatory practice.

Colette is a member of the Specialist Regulatory Advocates -  Category B

Crime

Colette is an experienced defence counsel and prosecutor. She appeared in a cases involving sexual offences, violence, drugs offences, fraud, driving matters. Colette is experienced dealing with vulnerable individuals and evidentially complex matters, and has completed the vulnerable witness and RASSO training. Colette is a CPS level 3 prosecutor. She also has experience dealing with matters of legal privilege.

Inquest

Collette has represented companies, local authorities, medical professionals and other individuals such as a prison officer at inquests across a broad spectrum of issues. She is familiar with making submissions on the question of Article 2 inquests and with dealing with juries.

Professional Discipline

Colette regularly acts for the GMC in cases before the fitness to practice tribunal. She has experience in dealing with a wide range of allegations including dishonesty, sexual misconduct, clinical issues, health matters. She has defended nurses in the NMC, and represented individuals before the British association of sport and exercise sciences, and in SIA prosecutions. She has also presented for Social Work England. Colette is appointed to the GMC panel of special counsel and has undertaken special counsel work for Social Work England.

Health and Safety

Colette both prosecutes and defends health and safety matters. She represents the HSE as part of her appointment to the Specialist Regulatory Advocate list. Colette has particular experience in Fire Safety prosecutions including a wide range of issues under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety). Colette is accustomed to the instruction of experts and subsequent presentation and challenge of said evidence. She will often deal with matters from an early stage, providing clear and realistic advice from the outset of proceedings in conference and in writing.

CQC

 Colette undertakes work relating to the care quality commission and its associated powers such as the use of enforcement notices, warning notices and cancellation. She has experience dealing with lengthy appeals and providing extensive written submissions.

Environmental

Colette has particular experience defending in matters of water regulation and waste prosecutions. Additionally, she has advised a national fast food chain on matters relating to the Water Industry Act 1999 and a utilities company on matters relating to their enforcement powers.

Licencing

Colette is experienced in providing advice and representation to Local Authorities, companies and individuals, on any licensing issue. These include Taxi, alcohol and entertainment, firearms and dangerous animals.

Notable Cases

  • NMC v Price

    NMC

    Defended nurse in submissions on impairment and sanction. case concerned fraudulent completion of time sheets. Impairment only on public interest grounds, 9 month suspension imposed. 

  • GMC v Dr Gabriel

    Represented GMC in FTP case surrounding allegations of performance failures and clinical issues when practicing during the covid 19 pandemic. Case required extensive expert evidence and combined reports of experts to distil issues. 

  • CQC v Care home “U”

    CQC

     Represented care home for disabled adults in 9 day appeal against cancellation of registration. Case involved a broad spectrum of issues such as safeguarding, closed cultures, staffing and good governance. 

  • HSE vs. Green Facades Ltd

    Health and Safety

    HSE vs. Green Facades Ltd. - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-67241812

    Represented cladding removal company in prosecution re. Construction Regulations Act 2015 and s.33 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Detailed mitigation document provided at sentence.  

  • Stoke City Council v Stanway

    Health and Safety

    Stoke City Council v Stanway: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/rogue-builder-fleeced-customers-out-31980472.amp

    Represented the council in prosecution of fraudulent activity if sole trader builder who took large sums of money stating they were for materials which never materialised. 

  • Inquest into the death of G.

    Inquest

    Represented local authority in inquest into man who fell from motorway bridge and was run over by police looking for him. 

  • Inquest into the death of K

    Inquest

    Represented local authority in inquest of elderly woman who died after a fall following periods in and out of hospital.

  • Inquest into the death of K

    Inquest

    Represented a local authority where teenager from the orthodox Jewish community had suffocated himself in his bedroom. The teenager had received treatment for ADHD within his community and under the NHS. The inquest concluded with a finding of misadventure.

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  • Inquest into the death A

    Inquest

    Represented a prison officer in a 3 week jury inquest into the death of a serving prisoner following known mental health difficulties and movement in the prison system.

  • Inquest into the death of E

    Inquest

    Represented a company offering care services to the elderly and vulnerable in an inquest looking into the death of an elderly service user following a fall.

  • Inquest into the death of M

    Inquest

    Representing a local authority in an inquest concerning the death of a care leaver who attended at hospital, before leaving shortly thereafter with his whereabouts unknown.

  • Inquest into the death of L

    Inquest

    Represented local authority in a case where a woman had suffocated by use of a plastic bag, whilst subject to a voluntary section under the Mental Health Act.

  • Representation of Medical professionals at inquest:

    Represented GP at inquest into an elderly lady who had died following an accident with an electric fire. Prior to her death she had been receiving compression treatment to her legs which affected mobility.

  • Represented hospital doctor in a case of an apparent sudden death of a lady with an undiagnosed brain tumour.

  • Represented GP following a death by overdose of a lady following long standing mental health issues.

  • Represented a nurse following the death of a young man in hospital diagnosed with meningitis who fell whilst on the ward.

  • Represented GP following death of a young man who took an overdose of prescribed medication, he had experienced issues with drug misuse and chronic pain.

  • Represented Band 6 nurse following death of oesophageal cancer patient. Inquest centred around the use of dilatation and a biodegradable stent placed by the nurse who was an expert in the field.

  • Welsh Water v SGC

    Health and Safety

    Represented a construction company accused of interfering with a water main contra to the Water Industry Act 1991.

  • Leicester Fire and Rescue Service v Riyat

    Health and Safety

    Multiple breaches of the fire safety order resulting in a fire at an HMO. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/house-went-up-flames-landlord-7263148

  • Leicester Fire and Rescue Service v Affitto Ltd, Director, HK Treasure Ltd. 

    Health and Safety

    https://www.fsmatters.com/Building-owner-and-managing-agent-sentenced

    Prosecuted building owner and managing agent in a long running fire safety matter relating to a high rise tower block. Case involved legal argument as to who were the  persons with responsibility under Article 5(3) of the “Fire Safety order” (managing agents). Expert evidence was obtained regarding breaches of the various article of the order including issues such as compartmentation, risk assessment, principles of prevention, firefighting and detection. Following guilty pleas, sentence took place over 2 days. 

  • LCC v RG

    Environmental

    Represented individual accused of offences under the Environmental Protection 1990 regarding the storage and disposal of waste on a flatbed truck. Required to consider statutory definitions of “mobile plant” and feasibility of obtaining environmental permits.

  • HSE v JL

    Health and Safety

    Represented HSE in case involving a gas fitter prosecuted for offences under s.2 of Health and Safety at work act.

  • Local authority matters

    Health and Safety

    Represented claimant and defendants in civil committal proceedings regarding breach of noise related orders. Represented local authority in trading standards matters relating to the sale of counterfeit and duty evaded goods, as well as intellectual property matters.

    Respondent in appeal by way of case stated in the High Court– [2019] EWHC 420 (Admin). Appeared in front of Higginbottom, LJ and Pepperall, J. The court considered the meaning of ‘unavoidable cause’ under s.444 (2A) of the Education act 1996.

    Taxi licensing: represented local authorities and individuals in taxi licencing appeals, has extensive knowledge of cost rules.

  • Professional Discipline

    GMC v Dr. de Almeida – represented GMC at fitness to practice proceedings arising out of the doctor’s conviction for fraud. The fraud related to the writing of prescriptions for a close friend in a false name.

  • GMC v Dr Hyaw Ktin

    GMC v Dr Hyaw Ktin - represented GMC at fitness to practice proceedings arising out of the doctor’s conviction under the Cremation Act 1902.

  • British association of sport and exercise sciences v C – defended individual regarding allegations of misconduct arising from twitter use. No findings made.

  • CQC

    CQC v X – represented CQC in appeal against decision to suspend registration to carry out regulated activity under s.31 Health and Social Care Act 2003. Case concerned a fertility clinic’s adherence to Covid19 regulations.

  • SIA v NCS

    SIA v NCS – Represented security company at 3 day trial – acquitted. Offence concerned use of an unlicensed operative.

  • Social Work England

    Professional Discipline

    Presented a case in which the SWE panel made findings of dishonesty and misconduct. The panel were concerned with the registrant’s actions relating to one particular case involving a child in the care system. The registrant was found to fail to pass key information regarding a disclosure of sexual assault, failed to comply with her statutory requirements re. visiting, had inappropriately taken the child to events with her family and friends, failed to adequately assess risk and had dishonestly omitted details from the child’s notes.

  • Social Work England

    Professional Discipline

    Presented a case in which a social worker had convictions for a care working wilfully mistreating/ neglecting an individual and as a holder of a public office wilfully neglecting to perform duty. The registrant had engaged in a sexual and personal relationship with a teenage service user in the service the registrant managed, causing the service user extreme distress when ending the relationship. The registrant was erased from the register.

  • Social Work England

    Professional Discipline

    Acted as “special counsel” in a case involving multiple allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment made by a colleague.

  • GMC

    Represented a specialist nurse at interim conditions of practice hearing. Client permitted to continue practicing with restrictions.

  • ICO v X

    Professional Discipline

    Represented the ICO in writing in appeal against their decision to the first-tier tribunal.

Appointments

  • CPS Level 3 prosecutor
  • Specialist Regulatory Advocate in Health and Safety and Environmental Law list B

Professional Associations

  • Criminal Bar Association
  • ARDL Member
  • Northern Circuit
  • South Eastern Circuit

Education

  • BPP London – BPTC: Very Competent
  • Trinity College, Dublin – LLB 2:1
  • ERASMUS Year at Uppsala University, Sweden

Awards

  • Junior of the Northern Circuit September 2017- March 2018
  • Middle Temple Harmsworth Scholar
  • BPP Advocacy Scholarship