Sarah Robson - Barrister - Alpha Court Chambers (Tel) 0800 634 9650
Hard Work will beat Talent if Talent doesn't work hard...
 
Sarah Robson BarristerSarah Robson
Call: 2002 (Inner Temple) 
 
A talented and hard-working barrister
 
 
What?
 
  • Sarah Robson has a General Civil Litigation practice, covering all areas of civil law, including tort, contract, insolvency, commercial, probate, employment and chancery matters.
 
  • Sarah has a particular interest in Personal Injury cases,  
 - with particular emphasis on MOJ RTA Portal cases, costs,  premature issue and other breaches of the personal injury pre-action protocol. 
 
  • Sarah takes cases on both the fast track and multi-track.
 
  • Sarah's expertise does not stop at the pre-action protocol!  She is also adept at dealing with all civil litigation matters. She enjoys all civil litigation and particularly enjoys Contractual, Commercial and Insolvency matters.
 
General Civil Litigation
 
 
Sarah Robson is a barrister in the East Midlands with a fully civil practice based in Daventry Northamptonshire.
 
She undertakes multi-track and fast track cases, including appeals, judicial reviews, cost hearings, disposals, trials and interim applications. 
 
If you have a civil litigation matter concerning premature issue, conduct, breach of the pre-action protocol or any costs issue, Sarah Robson is the barrister for you.
 
As well as being an excellent civil litigation advocate for all your multi- track and fast-track court hearings, she also deals with drafting and advisory work.  Sarah represents both claimants and defendants - she feels working for both sides gives her a better understanding of how the other side are likely to run a case. 
 
Sarah is familiar with the tactics of claimant solicitors who repeatedly breach the pre-action protocol and who issue claims prematurely, and is adept at dealing all cases of premature issue.   
 
Sarah's expertise does not stop at the pre-action protocol.  She is also adept at dealing with all civil litigation matters both at fast track and multi-track level.
 
 
Where?
 
  • Although an East Midlands based barrister, Sarah Robson appears in both High Courts and County Courts across much of Central England and Wales, covering from Leeds to London, Cardiff to Norwich for fast track matters.  Please enquire for multi-track cases. 
 
(See bottom of Contact page
for details.)
 
 
Reported Cases for Sarah Robson Barrister
for details of some of Sarah's particular successes, 
eg:
 
  • McNiven v Walsh (conduct)
  • Ghattaorya v Bailey (miscellaneous expenses)
  • Harwood v Kapek (miscellaenous expenses)
  • Pathak v Collins (conduct)
  • Dominic v Martin (MOJ Appeal)
  • Patel v Fortis Insurance (MOJ Portal Test case)
  • Alrahi v Ellis (conduct)
  • Newham Borough Council v Stratford Magistrates (liability orders)
  • Jamil v Harling (conduct)
  • Chantelle Smith v Irving (conduct)
 
 
What costs for Small Claim level Infant Approvals?  Court of Appeal rule on Dockerill & Anor v Tullet
 
Ah that vexed question has finally been answered by the Court of Appeal in Dockerill & Anor v Tullett [2012] EWCA Civ 184 (24 February 2012).
 
Whilst infant approvals are automatically multi-track, the Court of Appeal held that only reasonable costs which are proportionate to the size and complexity of a case over and above normal small claim costs are recoverable.  At para 43 Lord Justice Patten said the trial judge ought to have asked
 
"whether the damages claim and therefore its compromise was sufficiently complex as to have justified the engagement of solicitors beyond the production of a report on the merits of the settlement or in respect of any other step in the proceedings and to have scrutinised the bill on that basis."
 
Whilst the size of the claim is not the sole governing criteria, it will be an uphill struggle to get more than small claims costs on this type of claim now.
 
Click here for a full copy of the CA's decision in the conjoined appeal of
Dockerill & Anor v Tullett [2012] EWCA Civ 184 (24 February 2012).
 
 
MOJ RTA Claims Portal Cases:
 
Technical Non-compliance with the MOJ Portal
 
See here for details of Sarah's success on the Test Case of Jaykishan Patel v Fortis Insurance Ltd LTL 11/1/2012 for MOJ RTA Claims Portal cases where claimants remove the claim from the MOJ Portal for technical non-compliance only.  In this case the defendants were unable to comply with paragraph 6.10 of the MOJ Portal protocol due only to the A2A system used to access the MOJ Portal, which was designed without the ability to send acknowledgments.  The court ruled that removal from the MOJ RTA Portal for technical non-compliance with the MOJ RTA protocol was not sufficient grounds, and akin to premature issue cases and matters concerning breach of the pre-action protocol, restricted the claimant to MOJ Portal costs only and awarded the defendant some of their costs of defending the Part 7 proceedings.
 
 
Range of Prognosis given in MOJ Portal cases
 
See article here on the correct approach to assessment of damages where the medical evidence gives a range in the prognosis period, given in the MOJ Portal appeal case of Dominic v Martin LTLPI 1/9/2011. 
 
Sarah has a lot of experience in the new MOJ RTA Portal cases, and solicitors often come to her for advice on the new MOJ claims procedures and practice.
 
 
VAT on Medical Reports/Medical Disbursements
 
See article here on the ground-breaking decision of Barratt Goff & Tomlinson v The Commissioners for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs including a link to the full law report.
 
 
Awards & Scholarships
 
  • Sarah was awarded the London University Prize for Distinguished Exam Performance in her LLB (Hons) (1999).
 
  • Sarah received a major award from the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple for her Bar School year (2001).
 
  • Sarah received a major award from her Bar School, the University of the West of England (2001).
 
  • Sarah Robson has recently been voted No 1 top barrister for Berrymans Lace Mawer's RTA fast track team in Manchester.
 
 
Experienced
 
  • Sarah is an experienced advocate with a strong reputation in court. 
 
  • Sarah is known for her thorough preparation, and for providing detailed and practical advice. Solicitors often comment how they have never seen counsel so well prepared.
 
  • Sarah knows premature issue and breaches of the pre-action protocol inside out. 
 
 
Results
 
  • Why not call and ask to speak to her to find out what Sarah can do for you? That case you hate in the bottom of your cupboard.  We know it's there. Sarah can help.
 
 
Service
 
  • Sarah Robson does not have a clerk - she does not need one.  Virtually all her business comes from repeat clients and referrals, because solicitors do not want to go anywhere else once they have seen how Sarah works and how good she is. 
 
  • Solicitors can talk directly to Sarah when they wish to book a case in, and often benefit from a quick chat with her about how the case is progressing at that point as there is usually time to take steps to improve a case then, whereas it is usually too late by the time counsel receive papers for a hearing.
 
  • It is not unusual for Conduct cases, Premature issue matters and cases concerning breach of the Practice Direction on pre-action conduct or breach of the pre-action protocol to settle once the other side here that Sarah Robson is the barrister on your side.
 
 
 
Legal Humour
 
A light-heartedly look at the law and legal profession.  (Submissions for inclusion here gratefully received.)
 
  • Caveat lector:
    No lawyers were harmed during the construction of this site.
 
  • When a person assists a criminal before arrest, they are aiding and abetting.  When a person assists a criminal after arrest, we call them a defence lawyer.
 
  • The pupil barrister carefully warned his client not to lie when giving evidence.  He asked if his client appreciated what could happen if he did not tell the truth in court.  "We'll probably win" his client replied.
 
  • Why did the lawyer cross the road?  To sue the chicken.
 
  • What's the difference between a good lawyer and a great lawyer?  A good lawyer knows the law, a great lawyer knows the judge.
 
  • Never mind the dog - Beware of the dog's lawyer.
 
 
 
Hobbies/Interests     
 
  • Sarah is married to the children's author, Mark Robson, and has two children.
 
  • Sarah enjoys ski-ing (including virtual ski-ing on the Wii) Air Hockey and Thai Cooking.  She is very competitive!
 
  • Sarah is a 1st Dan Black Belt in TAGB Taekwondo.  She is officially  'Dangerous' - both in and out of court! 
Sarah Robson Barrister is a black belt in Taekwondo yet is scared of spiders!
 
(However, she is still a little bit afraid of spiders!)
 
 
 
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Sarah supports the Find Madeleine McCann appeal
 
 
Sarah Robson Barrister supports the search for Madeleine McCannIf you have ANY information regarding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, please come forward in confidence.
TEL +44 (0)845 838 4699 or visit
 
Sarah Robson Barrister supports the search for Madeleine McCann Age 6
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
What Madeleine might look like aged 6.
 
 
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Book a winner today! 
 
Sarah Robson Barrister - Book a Winner Please use the contact form or 
Tel: 0800 634 9650
 
 
 
 
NB Members of the public should not ring but should use the contact form or see a solicitor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© Sarah Robson
 
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