Kathleen Smoker - Profile

Kathleen Smoker was called to the Bar in 1974 and, from 1975 to 2003, practised in general Common Law chambers, her principal areas of expertise being employment and criminal law.

Criminal

In 2003, she reduced her general criminal work in order to concentrate on private specialist areas thereof, including:

Local Authority regulation/enforcement of:

  • pollution,
  • waste disposal,
  • animal control,
  • food hygiene,
  • related regulation/enforcement.


Central Government regulation/enforcement of environmental agencies, including:

  • DEFRA,
  • Food Standards Agency,
  • Water Authorities
  • Environmental Health

The various animal protection and similar agencies. 

By reason of her extensive experience in criminal law, she advises in and conducts cases involving both criminal and civil allegations against police authorities and police officers.

She is also very experienced in Road Traffic Cases and does accept certain general criminal cases dependent on length and nature.

Licensing


Kathleen added licensing to her practice in early 2003 with the advent of the dramatic change in liquor and entertaining licensing law under the Licensing Act 2003.  In 2004 when the Act came into force there was very considerable confusion as to the effect of the new law which transferred the responsibility for granting such licences from the local Magistrates Court to the Local Authority, with the former becoming the appeal tribunal.  She not only acts for a number of licensees in their appeals but has also assisted solicitors and the local authorities licensing committees in becoming familiar with the new procedures.

Kathleen also handles all other licensing matters, for example, vehicles, animal and child care licences.

Employment


Kathleen has retained and extended her practice in employment law and advises in and conducts all types of cases in the Employment Tribunal including unfair and wrongful dismissal, sex and race discrimination and redundancy.

Her extensive experience in employment law enables her to provide both written and oral expert advice and to draft effective grounds of application to tribunals for applicants and responses for respondents as well as notices of appeal and skeleton arguments for both applicants and respondents.

Kathleen is an experienced mediator in employment cases.

 

Academic and Professional Qualifications

LL.B. (Hons) Birmingham

Accredited Mediator

Accredited for Licensed Public Access.