- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Civil Fraud
- Clinical Negligence & Healthcare
- Commercial & Chancery
- Court of Protection
- Construction & Property
- Credit Hire
- Crime
- Family Law
- Financial Crime
- Inquests & Inquiries
- Personal Injury
- Police Law
- Professional Negligence
- Public Sector & Human Rights
- Regulatory & Disciplinary
- Travel & Cross Border Claims
Thomas Jones
Call: 2015
Tom has a multidisciplinary practice having undertaken a common law pupillage in Chambers. He accepts instructions across all of Chambers’ core areas of specialisms. He has appeared in the full range of courts and tribunals, including the Supreme Court. Tom is a member of the Attorney General’s Civil Panel of Counsel and is frequently instructed by government departments in his core practice areas.
He is ranked in Chambers and Partners where he is described as “brilliant in terms of his preparation, he is on top of all issues. He is able to cut through the nonsense”. He is ranked in the Legal 500 where he is described as “extremely bright, hard-working, personable and practical in his approach to cases. He is well ahead of his year of call”.
Prior to joining Chambers, Tom worked as a Research Assistant in the Public Law and the Law in Wales team at the Law Commission of England and Wales. He previously worked as a stagiaire at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and as a legal adviser at WilmerHale LLP in Brussels. Outside of work, Tom is learning Welsh and is a Trustee of a social mobility charity, the Lord Edmund Davies Legal Education Trust, which encourages students into top legal careers.
Tom is instructed in a range of constitutional and administrative law matters for government departments, local authorities, health bodies and private individuals in the Administrative Court. He has experience in prison law, social security, immigration, community care and healthcare. He is frequently instructed in judicial review claims, ordinary residence disputes and civil damages claims involving public bodies. In 2019, Tom spent time on secondment to the Welsh Government’s Legal Services.
Notable Public Sector & Human Rights cases
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R (Smith) v Secretary of State for Justice [2025] EWHC 2560 (Admin)
Tom was instructed on behalf of the Secretary of State for Justice (led by Myles Grandison) in these claims for judicial review. The Claimant challenged decisions of the Secretary of State (i) not to hold an oral hearing to determine the Claimant’s categorisation and (ii) not to transfer him from high security conditions. The Court dismissed both claims.
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R (Cain) v Secretary of State for Justice [2024] EWHC 426 (Admin)
Tom was instructed on behalf of the Secretary of State for Justice in this claim for judicial review. The Claimant challenged the decision of the Secretary of State not to follow the recommendation of the Parole Board that he be transferred from closed to open prison conditions. The claim for judicial review failed.
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Re G (Disclosure of Fact-Finding to the Secretary of State for the Home Department) [2023] EWHC 450 (Fam)
Tom was instructed by the Secretary of State for the Home Department in child abduction proceedings brought under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court. The case sets out guidance for the disclosure of material within confidential family proceedings to the Secretary of State where there are parallel asylum proceedings
Tom represents claimants and defendants in civil damages claims in the County Court and High Court. He has particular experience of claims involving public bodies in negligence, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010. He recently appeared in a Supreme Court case on the liability of public authorities. He has advised and represented individuals, local authorities, police forces, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Work and Pensions and HMRC.
Notable Civil Liability cases
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HXA v Surrey County Council; YXA v Wolverhampton County Council [2023] UKSC 52
Tom was instructed on behalf of the local authorities (led by Edward Faulks KC and Paul Stagg) in this Supreme Court appeal concerning the question of whether local authorities assume responsibility to protect children from harm through their conduct and therefore owe them a duty of care at common law.
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Poore v Anglian Water Limited [2024] EWCC 26
Tom was instructed on behalf of the Claimant in this public liability claim. The Judge accepted the submission that the Defendant could also be in occupation of land, as well as the relevant highway authority, and its failure to have in place a system of liaison with the highway authority amounted to a breach of duty.
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Re DE (2022)
Tom was instructed on behalf of a young German national, DE (led by Laura Begley) in his Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme claim arising from a catastrophic brain injury which he sustained during an unprovoked assault when visiting the UK. The Claimant secured the maximum award at the initial decision stage from the CICA.
Tom has a busy Court of Protection practice, where he is instructed on behalf of health bodies, local authorities, patients (through their litigation friends) and family members. Prior to joining Chambers, Tom worked for the Law Commission of England and Wales on mental capacity law reform, which gave him a unique insight into the development of this area of the law. He has appeared in cases relating to the medical treatment of adults and children. Alongside his practice, Tom is a lecturer at Cardiff University where he teaches a module to postgraduates on medical treatment.
Notable Court of Protection cases
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Powys Teaching Health Board v NT [2025] EWCOP 44
Tom was instructed on behalf of two health boards in this application for a declaration that it was in the best interests of a patient detained under section 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983 to receive treatment to remove a life-threatening tumour from his bladder. Mrs Justice Theis allowed the application.
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BBC v Cardiff Council and others [2024] EWCOP 50
The BBC applied to amend a transparency order imposing reporting restrictions on the identity of an individual in Court of Protection proceedings to facilitate his participation in a documentary. Mr Justice Hayden refused the application having balanced the competing Article 8 and Article 10 rights.
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Re C (A Child) [2024] EWHC 3331 (Fam)
Tom was instructed on behalf of a health board to seek a declaration that it was in the best interests of a 17-year-old to be given life-saving insulin medication against her wishes. The patient was Gillick competent to make the decision.
Tom is instructed in complex cases involving children in the Family Court and Family Division. He has been instructed in medical treatment cases involving children and young adults, has represented the Home Secretary in cases raising immigration issues and has appeared on behalf of the King’s Proctor. He appears in care proceedings in cases involving neglect, substance misuse and non-accidental injury.
Notable Family cases
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Re C (A Child) (Recognition of Nigerian Adoption) [2025] EWHC 204 (Fam)
Tom was instructed on behalf of the Home Secretary in this application to recognise an international adoption. Harrison J allowed the application in circumstances where the strict application of the conditions in Re Valentine’s Settlement [1965] Ch 831 would have resulted in a disproportionate interference with Article 8.
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A Health Board v AZ and Ors (Termination of Childhood Pregnancy: Guidance) [2023] EWHC 2517 (Fam)
Tom was instructed on behalf of the health board in this application for a declaration that it would be in the best interests of an 11-year-old girl to undergo a termination of pregnancy. Mrs Justice Arbuthnot set out guidance for similar future cases, which was endorsed by the President of the Family Division.
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Re J (A Child) [2020] EWHC 2395 (Fam)
Tom was instructed on behalf of a local authority to seek an order under the inherent jurisdiction in this deprivation of liberty application. The case sets out the correct approach to authorising a deprivation of liberty where one of the criteria under section 25 Children Act 1989 is not satisfied and where the placement is unregulated.
Tom is instructed to attend inquests and inquiries on behalf of government departments, local authorities, health bodies, the police and bereaved families. He has experience in death in custody cases, cases involving mental health provision, cases engaging article 2 and jury inquests. He is currently instructed in the Omagh Bombing Inquiry (led by Kate Grange KC). Between 2023 and 2025, he was instructed for the bereaved families in the national Covid-19 inquiry (led by Pete Weatherby KC).
Notable Inquests & Inquiries cases
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Inquest into the death of RK (2025)
Tom represented the Ministry of Justice in this three-day jury inquest into the death of a prisoner who died following an overdose of his prescribed medication.
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Inquest into the death of DB (2025)
Tom represented the Ministry of Justice in this two-day inquest into the death of a prisoner who had an epileptic seizure after having made a capacitous decision to refuse his epilepsy medication.
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Inquest into the death of JP (2024)
Tom represented a health board in a two-week jury inquest into the death of a prisoner. The coroner considered the processes for transferring prisoners to a secure hospital under section 47 of the Mental Health Act 1983.
Tom prosecutes and defends in criminal cases. He is a member of the CPS General Crime Panel (Level 3), the Regulatory Panel of Prosecuting Advocates (B Panel) and the CPS Extradition Panel (Level 1). Tom is frequently instructed to attend Parole Board hearings and has experience of representing the Secretary of State for Justice in complex fact-finding hearings. He also has experience of representing police forces in applications for account freezing orders, cash forfeiture, forced marriage prevention orders and public interest immunity applications.
Notable Crime, Extradition and Regulatory cases
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R v LI (2024)
Tom prosecuted this case involving six assaults and harassment against prisoner officers. Tom opposed an abuse of process argument where it was suggested that the Defendant was induced to believe that he would not be prosecuted for the offending at his Parole Board hearing. The abuse argument was dismissed and the Defendant was convicted.
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R v F (2024)
Tom prosecuted this stalking case where the Defendant was found not fit to plead. Following a trial of the facts, the jury found the Defendant to have done the relevant acts and the sentencing hearing involved questioning a consultant psychiatrist on the making of a hospital order with restrictions pursuant to sections 37 and 41 of the Mental Health Act 1983.
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R (HSE) v Network Rail (2023)
Tom represented the Health and Safety Executive in its prosecution of Network Rail following the death of one of its employees when cleaning a welding machine. A HSE investigation found that Network Rail had failed to ensure there was a safe system of work while carrying out maintenance on its rail production line. Network Rail was fined £1.2 million.
Endorsements
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB)
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate.
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Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB)
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate.
View my privacy policy.
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