Alison specialises in consumer and regulatory law, and frequently represents businesses and regulators in all areas of commercial regulation. She also undertakes professional disciplinary cases, acting for professionals and regulators.
- Consumer
Alison has extensive advisory and litigation experience and her expertise spans both the civil and criminal aspects of consumer law. She has appeared as junior alone in numerous prosecutions brought by trading standards authorities, including matters concerning the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPUT), Consumer Rights Act, Consumer Contract (Information, Cancellation, and Additional Payments) Regulations, Trade Marks Act, and the Fraud Act.
Alison has been seconded to the Competition and Markets Authority, where her work involved advising on civil and criminal enforcement of UK and EU consumer legislation.
Notable cases
- Suffolk County Council v G: prosecuted G. for 11 offences under Regulation 5 of CPUT, arising out of clocking the odometers of horseboxes. An explanation of the law to G’s representative led to guilty pleas being entered to all charges. G was committed for sentence and sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment, suspended. A disqualification from driving was imposed due to the nature of the offences, effectively preventing further trade. Significant costs were recovered;
- London Borough of Ealing v K. and anor: successful prosecution for various trade mark offences where the defendants were selling hundreds of products bearing false logos;
- Suffolk County Council v L.: successful prosecution of the director of a building company for contravening the requirements of professional diligence following a failure to complete the renovation of a residential property.
- Other regulatory law
Alison accepts instructions in all areas of civil and criminal regulatory law, including animal welfare proceedings, food hygiene, environmental, housing, and across all aspects of licensing.
Notable Cases
- Regina v B: successful prosecution in a case involving 62 offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (s.4 & s.9) and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The charges arose out of SB’s operation of a purported rescue for sick and injured wild birds. The case involved extensive and in-depth expert evidence on a variety of issues including animals’ perception of pain, what constitutes suffering, and appropriate practice in the care of injured animals;
- K. v Epping Forest District Council: appeared on behalf of the District Council at K’s appeal against sentence for unlawful eviction contrary to s.1 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. Alison successfully defended the appeal and secured increased compensation for the victim;
- Buckinghamshire County Council v E. Ltd. & ors: successful prosecution of offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 concerning unlawful disposal of over 76 tonnes of waste. An extensive clean-up operation had to be launched by the council which involved the closure of roads and caused wide-scale disruption;
- Hertsmere Borough Council v F: represented F (a company) at an application by the Council for an Emergency Hygiene Prohibition Order following an infestation of German cockroaches;
- Redbridge v Q: represented Q (a company), accused of selling a knife to an individual under the age of 18.
- Professional disciplinary
Alison is experienced in professional discipline work, particularly in the healthcare tribunals, and has in-depth knowledge of the fitness to practise regime. She accepts instructions in all professional disciplinary cases including those against nurses, midwives, doctors, and teachers.
Notable Cases
- NMC v D: represented D at her fitness to practice hearing. D was accused of failures which contributed to the death of a patient. At the hearing, the panel made no finding of misconduct or impairment;
- N. v NMC: represented the NMC at N’s 5-day appeal against refusal of registration, in a case involving previous allegations of serious misconduct against a complex factual background;
- NCTL v Z: represented Z at his fitness to practice hearing. Z was alleged to have been holding extra-curricular sessions featuring mathematics and wrestling, attended solely by Muslim males;
- NCTL v B: represented B at a fitness to practice hearing. B was alleged to have had a sexual relationship with a student.
- Events
- Publications
One of the authors of the chapter on Unfair Trading in Consumer and Trading Standards: Law and Practice (‘the Pink Book’), Lexis Nexis (2017).
- Education, qualifications, memberships
Call
- Called Lincoln’s Inn 2012
University
- LLB (Hons) University of Kent
- LLM City University
Memberships
- Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
- Young Fraud Lawyers’ Association
VAT number: 158059294