Catherine Silverton
Year of Call:
2001
Education:
University of Newcastle, BA (Hons) English Literature, 1999
College of Law, CPE, 2000
College of Law, BVC, 2001
Scholarships:
CPE Scholarship, Linclon’s Inn 1999
Hardwicke Entrance Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn 2000
Sir Thomas More Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn 2000
Pupillage Scholarship, Lincon’s Inn 2001
Career:
Called to the Bar 2001, Lincoln's Inn
Pupillage at Sovereign Chambers, 2001-2
Member of the North Eastern Circuit
Member of the Criminal Bar Association
CPS Level 3 and Rape Prosecutor
Catherine began her career with a general pupillage at Sovereign Chambers, and has experience in crime, civil, family and regulatory work.
Profile
Recommended in the 2011-2012 Legal 500 as an impressive advocate, Catherine has over ten years experience of prosecuting and defending crime. She has particular expertise as a jury advocate and has much experience of very difficult cross examination, ranging from children as young as 6, over video link, to senior police officers, people with significant mental health issues to psychiatrists, psychologists and paediatricians.
Catherine has regularly appeared before High Court Judges and in the Court of Appeal. She is able to produce written skeletons arguments and submissions on law at very short notice.
Catherine has defended in very many serious conspiracies including conspiracy to murder, to commit armed robbery, to supply vast quantities of Class A drugs, to burgle and steal and to commit various types of fraud (including bank fraud, VOSA fraud and multi million pound frauds). Catherine has been led in these cases in the past but more recently has either undertaken them alone or acted as leading junior. Catherine’s meticulous attention to detail makes her particularly suited to this type of work.
Catherine is approachable and down to earth which means she finds it easy to create a rapport with very young, psychiatrically ill or vulnerable clients. She is comfortable working through interpreters and using intermediaries.
Catherine has a well established serious sex practice. Having defended in her first rape trial in 2004 she has represented many people for the alleged rape of both adults and children, both recent and historic, and has never received a single conviction from a jury. She has also represented people for serious sexual offences including those against children, for grooming and for publishing indecent images. Catherine’s sensitive and intuitive approach has enabled her to achieve some very lenient sentences in serious sex cases where Defendants have entered Guilty pleas. Below are some recent examples of the work undertaken by Catherine.
R v Kirkpatrick, Leeds Crown Court, 2011
R v Shahzada Khan, Leeds Crown Court 2011
R v G Leeds Crown Court, January 2012 before The Honourable Mr Justice Singh QC
The Defendant was charged with systematically raping his (now adult) stepdaughter when she was aged between 6 and 9. The case involved complex medical and psychological evidence and delicate cross examination over videolink and live in court. The Defendant was acquitted of all 15 counts on the indictment.
Catherine is a Grade 3 Prosecutor and is on the CPS rape panel. She has a growing Prosecution practice and has experience of prosecuting multi handed conspiracies, sexual offences, offences involving children, fraud, violence and drugs. She has also prosecuted for the DWP, CSA, Food Standards Agency and Customs.
For further details, please contact Yvonne Crosbie or Zoe Malir on 0113 245 1841.
Contact us
46 Park Place
Leeds
LS1 2RY DX. 26408 LEEDS PARK SQUARE
T. 0113 245 1841
F. 0113 242 0194