Hannah Thomas

Barrister, 2 Hare Court

Hannah 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.

Contributed to

3

Excluding evidence of bad character

Practice Notes

This Practice Note covers the law in relation to excluding evidence of the defendant's bad character under section 101(3) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, and excluding evidence of 'bad character' under section 78 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE 1984). It deals in particular with evidence of a co-defendant's bad character, whether Article 6 of the ECHR is a bar to admissibility, and whether PACE 1984, s 78 operates to exclude bad character admitted as important explanatory evidence. It then deals with exclusion of evidence under the Criminal Procedure Rules. Finally it cover the forms and time limits for applications to exclude, in particular, applications to exclude the defendant's bad character and objecting to a non-defendant's bad character.

Corporate Crime

Obtaining third-party disclosure in criminal proceedings

Practice Notes

This Practice Note explains how third-party material needs to be identified in the Defence case statement. It covers the investigators duties under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 and the accompanying Code of Practice to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry and the disclosure obligations of crown servants and the impact of public interest immunity (PII). It explains how to obtain disclosure from a third party directly and how to apply for a witness summons for production of material under the Criminal Procedure Rules. The Note also explains how wasted costs may be awarded in unmeritorious third-party applications for disclosure.

Corporate Crime

The service of prosecution evidence in Crown Court proceedings

Practice Notes

This Practice Note explains the disclosure and service of prosecution evidence in criminal proceedings in England and Wales under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (CDA 1998) and the Criminal Procedure Rules 2020, SI 2020/759 (CrimPR). It deals with the requirements for the form in which evidence is served and how defence objections are dealt with.

Corporate Crime