Eleanor Lucas’s practice encompasses criminal law, public inquiries and inquests and professional discipline.
Eleanor specialises predominantly in criminal prosecution and defence and appears in the Crown Courts in relation to a wide range of criminal matters. Eleanor acts as both a junior alone and as a led junior, recently appearing for a defendant charged with serious historic child sex offences. Eleanor also acted as a led junior for the first defendant in a multi-handed multi-kilo conspiracy to supply cocaine via use of the secure communications system EncroChat.
Eleanor is currently instructed by Peters & Peters as junior counsel in relation to the Post Office ‘Horizon’ Appeals, reviewing hundreds of convictions originating from the Post Office’s use of data from the Horizon computer system in prosecutions between 2000 and 2014. Eleanor appeared in the Court of Appeal with Simon Baker KC in the case of Hawkes & Others v Post Office Ltd [2022] EWCA Crim 1197. Eleanor is also instructed in relation to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, chaired by Sir Wyn Williams.
Eleanor’s professional discipline work has included defending in Court Martial proceedings and acting in regulatory cases before the Nursing & Midwifery Council and the General Dental Council.
Before coming to the Bar, Eleanor worked as an intern for Death Penalty Attorneys at the Texas Defender Service in both Houston and Austin. She assisted with client visitation and document review on both pre-trial and post-conviction cases.
Eleanor has a busy and varied defence practice and acts both alone and as a led junior. She has experience acting in complex and multi-handed matters. Her recent instructions include GBH, weapons offences, conspiracy to supply class A drugs and serious sexual offences including child sex offences.
Eleanor has completed the Vulnerable Witness Training course at Middle Temple and has experience handling vulnerable witnesses in sensitive cases.
R v AC
Led junior for a defendant charged with 27 historic child sex offences including rape of a child under 13.
R v JH
Defence counsel for defendant charged with S18 wounding and assault emergency worker at actus reus trial. Crown agreed to offer no evidence in relation to the latter charge following cross-examination of the police officer.
R v ML
Led junior for first defendant in multi-handed multi-kilo conspiracy to supply cocaine via EncroChat.
R v HM
D pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply, two charges of possession with intent to supply class B and dangerous driving. Eleanor was successful in persuading the judge to avoid a sentence of immediate custody and D received a sentence of two years imprisonment suspended for two years.
R v JS
Trial on a single-count indictment. D was acquitted of dwelling burglary after Eleanor successfully resisted the Crown’s application to adduce evidence of D’s bad character.
Eleanor is currently instructed as junior counsel for Post Office in relation to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry chaired by Sir Wyn Williams. Eleanor is working on Phase 4, which relates to actions against sub-postmasters and others: policy making, audits and investigations, civil and criminal proceedings, knowledge of and responsibility for failures in investigation and disclosure.
Eleanor also has experience acting for Interested Persons at inquest hearings.
Eleanor is currently instructed by Peters & Peters as junior counsel in relation to the Post Office ‘Horizon’ Appeals, reviewing hundreds of convictions originating from the Post Office’s use of data from the Horizon computer system in prosecutions between 2000 and 2014.
Hawkes & Others v Post Office Ltd [2022] EWCA Crim 1197
Appeared, led by Simon Baker KC, on behalf of the Post Office in Hawkes & Others in which the convictions of five sub-postmasters were overturned.
Eleanor has acted in regulatory cases before the Nursing & Midwifery Council and the General Dental Council. She also acts for military personnel in Court Martial proceedings.
TPR MN
Successfully defended a British Army soldier in a two-handed trial at Bulford Court Martial Centre. Eleanor’s client faced charges of racially aggravated burglary, conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline, two charges of racially aggravated battery and three charges of battery. At the conclusion of the trial Eleanor’s client was acquitted of all charges he faced.
PVT RE
Defended British Army soldier in a case involving two charges of sexual assault.
Eleanor is a Level 3 Panel Advocate and regularly acts for the CPS in a wide range of matters. Eleanor spent three months on secondment to CPS London South where she worked as a Senior Crown Prosecutor on the Prosecution Review Unit. Eleanor was responsible for charging decisions as well as reviewing cases pre-trial. Eleanor also prosecuted trials on behalf of the CPS.
R v MS
Successfully prosecuted defendant charged with sexually assaulting two women in separate but identical attacks.
Scholarships/Awards
It has long been recognised that youths in the criminal justice system require a different…
We are delighted to announce that Harry Laidlaw and Eleanor Lucas, both formerly of 2 Bedford Row, have…
