A second judicial appointment for Robert Cline
We are delighted to announce that Robert Cline has been appointed as a part-time Judge to the First Tier Tribunal sitting in the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber.
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Robert’s main area of practice is civil litigation, mainly focussing on personal injury.
He also has significant experience of criminal work and continues to act in this and several other areas of practice which bring together his experience from two decades at the Bar.
He is happy to take appropriate cases on a conditional fee basis and is accredited to receive direct access instructions from members of the public.
Personal injury
Robert spends much of his time advising (both informally by telephone and formally in writing and in conference) and appearing in court in personal injury cases, acting for both claimants and defendants. He has many years’ experience at all levels, ranging from small claim to multi-track, interlocutory hearings to trials and costs arguments.
He deals regularly with all types of negligence, road traffic, employer liability and public liability claims and has knowledge and experience of many areas such as:
- Industrial disease
- Clinical negligence
- Industrial accidents
- Road traffic claims involving allegations of fraud and “low velocity impact”
- Credit hire
- Health and safety at work
- Product liability
- Claims against employers for psychological injury
- Slips and trips
- Historical child abuse claims
- Fatal accidents
- Accidents abroad
- Holiday illness claims
- Inquests
Crown Court & appeals
Having worked as a magistrates’ clerk before entering into private practice, and then spending several years appearing regularly in the Magistrates’ and Crown courts across the region, Robert has a strong background in prosecuting and defending in a wide range of criminal cases. More recently, he has focussed on more specific areas which he enjoys and still deals with regularly, such as:
- Road traffic prosecutions, especially speeding and drink-driving, often acting for clients at risk of losing their driving licence
- Benefit fraud, having acted for both sides in cases of significant complexity and value
- Environmental and regulatory prosecutions
- Health and safety prosecutions
- Proceeds of crime (Robert acted for one of the defendants in the first ever case prosecuted by the Information Commissioner’s Office where a confiscation order was requested for offences contrary to data protection legislation)
He has particular experience of quasi-criminal applications and orders, having acted for both sides in cases involving:
- Anti-social behaviour orders
- Gang injunctions
- Sexual offences prevention orders
- Football banning orders
- Cash seizure and retention
Robert has appeared for both appellants and the Authority in Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals and has an active knowledge and experience of the schemes dating back to 2001.
Disease
Robert is an expert in Disease litigation.
Appointments
- Fee-Paid Judge of the Employment Tribunals (North-West) (2021)
- Fee-Paid Judge of the First Tier Tribunal (Mental Health) ( 2021)
