Education
- Manchester University Law LLB
Appointments
- Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (formerly General Medical Council) Legal Assessor 2010 - 2017
- List B Specialist Regulatory Advocate in Health and Safety and Environmental Law
- Member of the Bar of Northern Ireland
- Appointed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change to hear Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) Appeals
- Grade 4 Prosecutor and Rape Panel Member
Professional Associations
- Criminal Bar Association
- Health and Safety Lawyer Association
- ARDL
Profile
Described in the leading legal directories "her craft and oratory skill make her superb to watch in court" Legal 500 2017, and one who, “sees the key issues, focuses on them and drives home her points effectively”. She is a “perceptive and precise advocate”. Legal 500 2016 she is described as "highly proficient in broader regulatory cases...Always extremely well prepared and utterly fearless in court." Legal 500 2015, "Well regarded in professional discipline, trading standards and licensing." Legal 500 2014 "Her varied practice includes a significant amount of prosecution work for the HSE and local authorities". Highlighted as specialising in food safety and trading standards in the 2013 Legal 500 under Health and Safety and Regulatory and "Recommended" in the 2012 Legal 500. In the 2011 Legal 500 she has ‘an eye for detail, is immensely thorough and can get to grips with the most complicated of regulatory cases’. In the Legal 500 2010 she is described as " persuasive, gains the ear of the court".
Health and Safety Offences
Ros prosecutes on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authorities, having been appointed to the HSE specialist Panel. She is regularly sought after to defend both companies and individuals in such matters. She regularly advises from a very early stage in proceedings in order to give direction to the gathering and accumulation of evidence, and the drafting of charges or defence statements as appropriate.
Trading standards and Food Agency
Ros' practice also involves Consumer Protection law. This ranges from breaches of Food Hygiene Regulations to Fraud, and covers all manner of investigations into businesses and traders. Increasingly common is the use of the internet by traders, and misleading actions and omissions can occur through inaccuracies on websites.
Crime
Ros has prosecuted and defended the most serious cases, from murder, rape and historic abuse on children to money laundering and fraud. She has a reputation for handling cases that involve particularly vulnerable individuals (witnesses or defendants) either because of their age or their mental health.
Disciplinary Proceedings
Appointed as Legal Assessor to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) from 2010 to 2017, Ros regularly advises panels who sit to consider the conduct and fitness to practise of doctors. She has resigned her post as an Assessor in order to represent Doctors at the MPTS Tribunal hearings.
Regularly appears for both the Police Officer concerned, and the Appropriate Authority in Police disciplinary proceedings.
Is instructed in Fitness to Practise proceedings before the General Dental Council (GDC) and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
Public Access
Ros is qualified to receive instructions direct from businesses, professionals and members of the public. Any such requests should be directed to her clerks in the first instance.
Notable Cases
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Trading Standards and Food Safety
REDCAR AND CLEVELAND BOROUGH COUNCIL v COOKE, COOKE AND AEDIS [2016]
Breaches of consumer protection regulations - rogue builders. Case also involved non-compliance by the independent building control specialist, in relation to the failure to provide material to RCBC. Advising at very early stage, pre-charge, right through to trial and sentence.
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Health and Safety
HSE v VERTELLUS SPECIALITIES UK LTD [2017]
Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations were breached, exemplified by a serious fire at a chemicals site in Middlesbrough.
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Health and Safety
HSE v ARMSTRONG WORLD INDUSTRIES LTD AND PARK, GATE AND COMPANY LTD [2017]
A contractor, undertaking electrical cable replacement works at a factory, received burn injuries from cutting through a live cable. Defendants were “medium” and “large” under the new Sentencing Guidelines.
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Health and Safety
HSE v BT PLC [2016]
Case involving life-changing injuries to two employees as a result of deficiencies in construction and maintenance of electrical systems and work at height. Sentence under the new Sentencing Guidelines.
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Health and Safety
DARLINGTON BOROUGH COUNCIL v ALDI FOOD STORES LTD AND WILKLINSON MAINTENANCE LTD [2016]
Involved Aldi contracting Wilkinson for construction work. Work was not adequately particularised in the latter's RAMS. An unsecured smoking shelter blew over causing injury to an employee of Aldi. Both defendants liable under HSWA '74 and fined under new Sentencing Guidelines.
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Health and Safety
HSE v BRIMMS CONSTRUCTION LTD AND M&C ROOFING CONTRACTORS LTD [2015]
Case involving a fall from height by a roofer through a rooflight. Obligations of principal contractors. CDM Regs, Bad character.
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Health and Safety
HSE v WRIGHT(Trading as PW Joinery and Building Services) [2015]
Involved a fatal fall of an employee from a ladder and inadequate construction and maintenance of scaffolding.
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Health and Safety
HSE v GATESHEAD COUNCIL AND CONNELLY [2014]
Involved Gateshead Council contracting with Connelly, who was not suitably qualified, to fell trees adjacent to a live railway line. Tree caused significant damage to track and oncoming train. Duties of contracting companies, even where no involvement by them in the contracted work. Duty to conduct 'due diligence' checks on contractors.
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Health and Safety
MIDDLESBROUGH BOROUGH COUNCIL v SAINSBURY'S SUPERMARKETS LTD AND WINCANTON GROUP LTD [2014]
Injuries caused by roll cages toppling over when off loaded from lorries
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Health and Safety
HSE v STANNAH LIFTS SERVICES AND C G GRANT [2014]
Case involved the fall through a rooflight located in Stannah premises by an employee of C G Grant, a roofing company. Duties of contracting companies, even where no involvement by them in the contracted work. Duty to conduct 'due diligence' checks on contractors.
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Trading Standards and Food Safety
REDCAR AND CLEVELAND BOROUGH COUNCIL v FAIDULLA[2016]
Food hygiene regulation breaches. Fast Food outlet repeatedly breaching standards. Advised on charges, venue and offences to be 'taken into consideration' after further breaches discovered.
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Trading Standards and Food Safety
REDCAR AND CLEVELAND BOROUGH COUNCIL v HADDEN [2016]
Breaches of Consumer protection Regulations by builder. 7 different complainants.
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Trading Standards and Food Safety
GATESHEAD COUNCIL v E-GREEN ENERGY LTD, COCHRANE, BISHOP AND GREEN [2015]
Case involved the sale of 'Green Deal Assessments' by the Defendant company (and directors). Consumer protection issues, cold calling, bombardment of people by unsolicited phone calls.
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Trading Standards and Food Safety
NATURAL ENGLAND v STOKER FRATER
Natural England withdrew proceedings after the submission by Ros of a skeleton argument, alleging abuse of process, detailing numerous failures (by Natural England) to comply with the Codes of Practice within PACE.
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Trading Standards and Food Safety
NORTHUMBERLAND TRADING STANDARDS v MICHAEL STONEHOUSE
Involved Cattle Database Regs and Cattle Identification Regs 1998.
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Crime
R v Graham
Represented a teaching assistant charged with grooming type offences on a pupil
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Crime
R v Peacock
Represented mother accused of being involved in the death of her 18 month old son.
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Crime
R v Glendinning
Prosecuted 19yr old defendant with autism in respect of serious sexual assaults on 6 different young girls
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Crime
R v Skirving, Burns, Dougherty and Storey
Prosecuted 4 men in respect of financial fraud against Darlington Borough Council, one of whom was an “insider”.
What the directories say
‘Utterly fearless and brilliant with clients.’
Legal 500, 2018
Her craft and oratory skill make her superb to watch in court
Legal 500 2017
highly proficient in broader regulatory cases...Always extremely well prepared and utterly fearless in court.
Legal 500 2016
Well regarded
Legal 500 2015
"Her varied practice includes a significant amount of prosecution work for the HSE and local authorities".
Legal 500 2014
‘an eye for detail, is immensely thorough and can get to grips with the most complicated of regulatory cases’
Legal 500 2011
