Hannah Thomas specialises in criminal law, professional discipline and inquests & inquiries. She is ranked in the latter field as a ‘Rising Star’ junior in the Legal 500.
In her criminal work, Hannah both prosecutes and defends and has established a busy practice both led and as a junior alone. Her work covers all manner of serious criminal offences. Recent instructions include murder, GBH, rape, fraud, conspiracy to supply drugs and firearm offences. She also has experience in the appellate courts, having been instructed both in case stated appeals and judicial review in the High Court, and she has appeared before the Court of Appeal in appeals against both conviction and sentence.
When defending Hannah is often chosen to represent clients with vulnerabilities due to her excellent client care skills. She has a calm and friendly approach and provides robust advice to clients. Hannah’s prosecution work covers both public and private prosecutions. She is a Grade 3 panel advocate and in 2019 was seconded to a white-collar crime firm to work full-time on a successful private prosecution.
Hannah is a sought after junior in inquiries and inquests, having worked on a number of high profile matters. She was instructed on the Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, the Manchester Arena Bombing Inquiry and acted in a team of counsel on the Levitt KC Boohoo Group PLC Independent Review. Hannah also represents a range of clients at inquest hearings, including jury and Article 2 inquests. She has acted for families and other interested persons and has particular experience representing medical professionals.
Hannah’s wealth of experience in this regard feeds into her professional discipline work. Her work spans the MPTS, NMC, GoSC and GOC. She has experience both representing professional members and presenting cases on behalf of regulators both before tribunals and in ancillary applications in the High Court.
Hannah has developed a wealth of experience in criminal defence covering a broad spectrum of offences, both alone and as a led junior. Her recent instructions include conspiracy to supply drugs, firearms offences, murder, GBH, fraud, serious child cruelty involving death of an infant, and rape.
Hannah has a keen interest in assisting vulnerable defendants. In addition to mandatory vulnerable witness training, Hannah has completed specialised youth justice training to enable her to more effectively represent children charged with serious offences.
Hannah has recently been instructed in a string of protesting cases whereby defendants are charged with breaching the criminal law during a protest. This involves consideration of Articles 10 and 11 of the ECHR and often involves complex legal analysis. The cases have attracted national press attention. Hannah is currently instructed in a judicial review arising out of one such matter.
Hannah regularly authors Practice Notes for LexisNexis owing to her experience in crime.
[Reporting Restrictions] (2021)
Led junior in a serious child cruelty case involving the death of an infant.
R v P and others (2022)
Currently instructed as disclosure junior in a large scale Trading Standards prosecution.
R v H (2022)
Currently acting for an activist who is charged with breaching Coronavirus Regulations by protesting. The case is currently the subject of judicial review proceedings and has received national press interest.
R v A and others (2021)
Led junior in a case concerning international drugs conspiracies, associated money laundering and possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition. Following a series of disclosure requests and successful defence representations, the matter resulted in the prosecution offering no evidence on the conspiracy counts on day five of the trial.
R v JP (2020)
Recent confiscation case concerning complex issues including hidden assets and a benefit figure of £1.8 million.
Garry v CPS [2019] EWHC 636 (Admin)
Acted for the appellant in a case stated appeal concerning the interpretation of ‘reasonable excuse’ for possession of a butterfly knife. The case is now an authority on the point.
Hannah is frequently instructed to represent Interested Persons at inquest hearings. She has acted for family members and also other IPs with particular experience representing members of the medical profession. Hannah is instructed in serious cases involving death in custody, Article 2 and jury inquests, and is currently instructed in a case involving the death of an infant.
Hannah has significant experience working on inquiries and related matters. She was instructed as second junior counsel representing a Core Participant in the Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in two separate phases of the Inquiry and worked as disclosure junior on the Manchester Arena Bombing Inquiry. Her role included reviewing material to determine if it was ‘operationally sensitive’ to make submissions to the Inquiry.
Hannah was also instructed as part of a small team of counsel on the Levitt KC Boohoo Group PLC Independent Review. The Review received international attention due to its significance.
Hannah is ranked as a ‘Rising Star’ junior in this field in the Legal 500.
Inquest into the death of JSA [2024]
Acting for the GP Practice of JSA, this inquest concluded on Jan 2024. JSA was 23 years old when he died on 10 July 2020 after eating food contaminated with peanuts that he had ordered from a restaurant via the Deliveroo platform.
Inquest into the death of RS [2022]
Currently instructed to represent a GP in a death in custody case. The inquest covered the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the prison estate and wider implications of seriously ill prisoners receiving adequate medical care in custody.
Inquest into the death of KS [2021]
Article 2 inquest involving the death of a mentally vulnerable man recently discharged from mental health services. Represented a GP who was one of the last medical professionals to have contact with KS before he disappeared and was found drowned.
Inquest into the death of DJM [2021]
Represented a Care Home alleged to have contributed to the death of a resident. A significant number of witnesses were called from the Care Home. No finding of neglect made.
Hannah acts for regulatory bodies and represents clients across a wide range of regulators, including the MPTS, GOC, GoSC, and NMC. She acts in all manner of hearings, including interim order panels, contested fitness to practice hearings, and substantive order reviews. Hannah also represents regulatory bodies in applications to the High Court.
GMC v F (2021)
Represented a doctor accused of dishonesty at the MPTS, resulting in a finding of no impairment.
GOC v D (2021)
Presented a case involving allegations of dishonesty relating to a failure to declare a conviction. The Committee found all allegations of dishonesty proved and found current impairment.
Hannah has a keen interest in private prosecution work and is an active member of the PPA. She has been instructed as a junior alone, as a led junior, and in 2019 undertook a lengthy secondment at a white collar firm working on a high-profile private prosecution.
Hannah is a Grade 3 prosecutor and regularly acts for the CPS in a variety of matters. Her recent instructions include prosecuting a knifepoint robbery.
Hannah also represents HMRC in civil cash forfeiture cases, providing advice and conducting contested hearings, both at first instance and on appeal.
Welcome to the latest edition of the Professional Discipline Newsletter. Christopher Geering Editors Foreword…
Introduction The decision late last year by Ritchie J in Aga v GDC caused uproar…
The inquest into the death of James Stuart Atkinson concluded on Monday 15 January 2024….
