Profile
Kate is an extremely able and highly regarded advocate specialising in crime and public inquiries. She has extensive experience in all areas of serious crime including murder and terrorism, both at first instance and in the appellate courts. Her engaging manner makes her an effective advocate and popular with clients. She is known for her strong intellect, strategic awareness and charming client care.
Kate’s practice blends sensitive and difficult criminal cases with heavyweight public inquiry work including the Undercover Policing Inquiry, the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan and the Covid-19 Inquiry. She has experience both as inquiry counsel and representing core participants, with particular expertise in the complex operation of a public inquiry’s power to restrict material.
With a background as a Treasury Counsel monitoree and a Level 4 Advocate on the Panel List in Serious Crime, Fraud, Counter Terrorism and POCA, Kate is experienced in prosecuting substantial and sensitive, high-profile criminal cases.
Kate has been appointed to the Attorney General’s Panel of Special Advocates.
Expertise
Kate is an extremely experienced and able criminal advocate. She has defended in sensitive and complex cases ranging from murder and rape to fraud including defending a mother charged with the mercy killing of her son and a well-known actor charged with sexual offences and possessing indecent images of children. As a former Treasury Counsel monitoree, Kate is also regularly instructed to prosecute serious crime including murder, armed robbery, drugs importation and sexual offences as well as high-profile cases. She has been appointed as a Level 4 prosecutor on the specialist panels for serious crime, counter-terrorism, fraud and POCA. She has also been instructed to lead in multi-handed cases such as drugs exportation cases with terrorist funding connections, and conspiracies to pervert the course of justice. Kate has a wealth of experience in difficult criminal appeals both in relation to conviction and sentence, including providing advice to the Attorney General.
Kate is experienced in this increasingly important area of advisory and litigation work. She has advised on the international complexities of data retrieval from remote server hosts involved in the commission of terrorist offences using cyberspace and regularly advises officers from the High Tech Unit and Digital Media Exploitation Unit. She is also familiar with the technical details involved in computer, website and file-sharing analysis having defended in Op Ore (indecent images of children) cases.
Kate has acted both as counsel to the inquiry and as counsel to core participants in significant and complex public inquiries. She has many years of experience as inquiry counsel to the Undercover Policing Inquiry, has acted for the Ministry of Defence in the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan and has acted for the Care Quality Commission in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. Kate is well versed in the procedural issues engaged in all aspects of the setting up of a public inquiry and its conduct including the arguments surrounding restriction orders, privacy, data protection and judicial review challenges.
Kate has an eye for detail and for simplifying complex matters which makes her a versatile fraud practitioner. She has defended in frauds including trademark infringements, benefit fraud and payroll dishonesty. She also prosecuted the largest PAYE tax and National Insurance evasion case where her command of the voluminous exhibits permitted them to be skilfully presented to the jury in both hard copy jury bundles and electronically on screen.
As a Grade 4 prosecutor on the specialist Proceeds of Crime panel, Kate is very familiar with confiscation proceedings. She regularly advises on, and conducts hearings in, complex and protracted cases. Her experience prosecuting such matters makes her an ideal choice for those seeking advice in defending potential confiscation claims.
Kate is regularly instructed to prosecute by the Counter Terrorism Division and has extensive experience in dealing with extremely complex and sensitive matters of disclosure. She conducts prosecutions alone as well as being led. She is also familiar with advising on how to shape difficult cases and in particular on the use of the Electronic Presentation of Evidence to assist a jury’s understanding of the case.
Kate has acted for the Service Prosecution Authority both in advisory capacity and as prosecution counsel at the trial of army personnel in Sennelager Military Court Centre charged with sexual offences. She is also familiar with Army Act offences and has acted for the Ministry of Defence in public inquiry proceedings.
Kate regularly advises in criminal cases where jurisdictional issues arise from evidence gathered abroad. She also has experience of Courts Martial prosecutions abroad.
Kate has advised individuals involved in the police enquiries into practices at News International and has been frequently instructed by publishing companies to assess video material for potential defamation claims. Kate has lectured on the topic of how the media can influence legal
proceedings.
Kate has conducted judicial review proceedings in respect
of several matters ranging from challenges to the decisions of the Chair of a public inquiry to decisions not to prosecute a youth for rape. Her long term work in the field of public inquiries has made her a specialist in obligations of public authorities and familiar with the body of associated European case law.
- Attorney General’s Panel of Prosecuting Advocates
- Treasury Counsel Monitoree
- Criminal Bar Association
- Central London Bar Mess
- South Eastern Circuit
University of Sheffield (LLB Hons)
To view Kate Wilkinson’s Privacy Notice, please click here.
Notable cases
Public Inquiry into Undercover Policing
Investigating undercover policing across 43 police forces since 1968, including allegations of inappropriate sexual relationships, children...
R v Mustapha Gurpinar
The murder of a fourteen year-old boy in a London park.
R v Shaun Sutton, Lee Russell and Leon Russell and Ennis-Simpson
An execution-style shooting involving groundbreaking issues concerning the conduct of identification procedures where identical twins are...
R v Kevin Hughes and David Hair
The prosecution of two police officers for using racially abusive terms whilst on duty.
R v Ruksana Begum
A prosecution concerning terrorist material retained on a memory card.
R v Twomey, Blake, Hibberd and Cameron
The first trial by a judge sitting alone: an armed robbery worth £1.75 million from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport in 2004.
R v Frances Inglis
The trial of a mother who murdered her son by a lethal heroin injection.
R v Antoni Imiela
The trial of a serial rapist (the ‘M25 rapist’) who targeted young girls and women in areas he was able to stalk as a result of his...
R v Chris Langham
The trial of a notable actor charged with possessing indecent images of children and committing sexual offences against a young girl who...
Related news
Kate Wilkinson KC appointed to the AG's Panel of Special Advocates
Chambers is delighted to announce that Kate Wilkinson KC has been appointed by the Attorney General as a Special Advocate to act for excluded parties in closed material proceedings. She is the first...
Appointed King's Counsel 2025.
6KBW College Hill is delighted to announce that today, Kate Wilkinson, Melanie Cumberland, Paul Jarvis and Simon Ray were formally appointed King's Counsel in a ceremony before the Lord Chancellor at...
King's Counsel Appointments 2025
We are delighted to announce that Kate Wilkinson, Melanie Cumberland, Paul Jarvis and Simon Ray have been included on the list of new King’s Counsel, published today.
Covid 19 Public Inquiry: first hearing on the care sector
On 19 March 2024, the Covid 19 Public Inquiry held its first preliminary hearing in Module 6, which concerns the impact of the pandemic on the adult social care sector. Adam Payter and Megan Millar...