Property & Real Estate Barristers
Karen Jones
Year of call 1995
Instructing Karen
For further information or to instruct Karen please contact one of our following clerks:
Alex Southern
Practice Managers
“I instructed Karen Jones in connection with a complex footpath claim faced by my client which had been appealed to the Planning Inspectorate. Karen not only extracted the pertinent points from copious papers within a short space of time but was also able to alert me and my client to a number of wider points that had a direct impact upon the case. For prompt, expert advice on public rights of way and public access claims Karen is a leader in her field”.
Edward Worthy, Rural Partner, Gepp & Sons
“She is reliable, and a highly proficient operator in a complex subject.”
Jonathan Cheal, Specialist Rights of Way Solicitor
“She has an exceptional incisive and pragmatic approach to complex legal issues, an excellent client manner and an outstanding knowledge of the law relating to public and private access to land and the liabilities resultant therefrom.”
Anita Symington
- Blackstone Exhibition Scholarship, Middle Temple
- Leader of Agricultural Law Association Access to Land Working Group
- Invited member of DEFRA’s Stakeholder Working Group
- The Marine & Coastal Access Act 2009 – Rights of Way Law Review, Vol. 11, pp123-130 (2010)
- Natural Environment & Rural Communities Act, Part 6 – An analysis – The Bulletin of the Agricultural Law Association (2006)
- Problems with off-roaders – A guide to your rights – The Field (2006)
- CLA takes horse insurance fight to Parliament – Horse Health Magazine, Feb/March issue (2006)
- Local authorities’ liability towards the public when things go wrong – RWLR training course – Sept (2005)
- Livestock and access – Rights of Way Law Review, Vol. 4.2, pp49-52 (2004)
- The Environmental Liability Directive – Chartered Institute of Water & Environmental Management – Annual Publication (2003)
- Is this a fair way to rights of access? The Times, 22 Feb (2000)
- PhD (Cantab)
- BSc (Hons)
- Agricultural Law Association
- Constitutional & Administrative Law Bar Association
- Country Land & Business Association
- English
- French
Karen Jones is well versed on a wide range of property matters associated with the ownership and management of land – as former Chief Legal Adviser to the Country Land and Business Association (CLA). She has particular experience of public access to land issues, often associated with claims to public rights of way and village greens and is a member of DEFRA’s Stakeholder Working Group advising on public rights of way legislation.
Having worked for a solicitors for several years (partner status), Karen is experienced in running cases from beginning to conclusion and can provide detailed guidance at all stages of this specialist litigation. Her clients have included individual landowners and their agents, developers, estates and parish councils as well as landowning organisations.
Her knowledge has been sharpened by her extensive lobbying experience, which has included drafting amendments to Bills such as the Countryside and Rights of Way Bill and the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill and the recent Deregulation Bill. In addition she has acted as advocate for pressure groups during the passage of legislation in the UK and in Europe.
Karen lectures extensively including for CLT and The Agricultural Law Association (ALA) and provides in-house seminars for solicitors and agents.
Areas of expertise
Particular expertise in public access to land whether public rights of way, village greens or access land (including coastal access):
- Definitive Map Modification Orders.
- Town and Village green claims.
- Representation at public inquiries and associated applications relating to above.
- Judicial review and statutory appeals (e.g. under schedule 14 and schedule 15 Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981)).
- Advising on practical and legal steps to reduce the likelihood of a claim to a right of way or village green and the implications of registration.
- Representing landowners regarding the new coastal access rights.
- Traffic Regulation Orders including procedural requirements.
- Private rights of way – particular expertise on issues arising where private rights and public access rights co-exist.
- Vehicular access to land including the effect of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006).
- Advice regarding liability associated with public access.
- Statutory nuisances.