- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Civil Fraud
- Clinical Negligence & Healthcare
- Commercial, Chancery & Property
- Court of Protection
- 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 broad common law practice and has experience in constitutional and administrative law, civil litigation, health and social care, mental capacity, family law, inquests and inquiries.
Tom is a member of the Attorney General’s Civil Panel of Counsel (C Panel) and is frequently instructed by government departments in his core practice areas. A number of his cases raise issues of European Union law and public international law. He previously worked as a stagiaire at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and then as a legal adviser at WilmerHale LLP in Brussels.
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”.
Tom graduated first place on the Law and French programme at Cardiff University, obtained the top first in his year for his dissertation on public international law and won the university’s final year mooting competition. He studied for a masters in European Union law at the College of Europe in Bruges where he wrote a dissertation on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. He also holds an undergraduate degree in French law and speaks fluent French. He is a Trustee of a social mobility charity, the Lord Edmund Davies Legal Education Trust. He is a member of the Bar Council Remuneration Committee and is an active member of Gray’s Inn.
Tom represents claimants and defendants in the full range of personal injury and abuse claims. He is regularly instructed to attend costs and case management conferences, interim applications and trials in fast track and multi-track cases. Tom has considerable experience of claims involving public bodies in negligence and under the Human Rights Act 1998, having recently appeared in a Supreme Court case on public authority liability. He has advised and represented local authorities in respect of civil claims arising from the exercise of their functions, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Work and Pensions.
Notable Civil Liability cases
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HXA v Surrey County Council; YXA v Wolverhampton County Council [2023] UKSC 52
Tom was instructed for the local authorities 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. Tom was led by Lord Faulks KC and Paul Stagg.
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Poore v. Anglian Water Limited [2024] EWCC 26
Tom was instructed by the Claimant in this public liability claim. The Judge accepted the submission that the Defendant could also be in occupation of the 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.
Tom is instructed in a range of constitutional and administrative law matters for government departments, local authorities, health bodies and private individuals. He has experience in prison law, social security, economic policy, community care and healthcare. A number of Tom’s cases raise issues of European Union law, public international law and issues involving the European Convention on Human Rights. He is frequently instructed in judicial review claims, ordinary residence disputes and civil damages claims involving public bodies.
Notable Public Sector & Human Rights cases
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R (Cain) v. Secretary of State for Justice [2024] EWHC 426 (Admin)
Tom was instructed by the Secretary of State for Justice in this claim for judicial review. The Claimant, a life sentence prisoner, sought to challenge the decision of the SSJ not to follow the recommendation of the Parole Board that he be transferred to open prison conditions. The court agreed with the SSJ’s submissions that the Defendant had been entitled to reach a different conclusion following his evaluation of the material which was before the Parole Board and the claim for judicial review failed.
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Re C (A Child) (Recognition of Nigerian Adoption) [2025] EWHC 204 (Fam)
Tom was instructed for the Secretary of State for the Home Department in this application to recognise an international adoption in the law of England and Wales. 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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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 has a busy practice in the Court of Protection 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 on mental capacity law reform, which gave him a unique insight into the development of this area of the law. Alongside his practice, Tom is a lecturer at Cardiff University where he teaches a module to postgraduates on the legal frameworks governing consent to medical treatment. He recently contributed to a new judicial protocol on cross-border capacity cases, which is available here.
Notable Court of Protection cases
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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 involved in Court of Protection proceedings, in order to facilitate his participation in a proposed documentary. Mr Justice Hayden refused the application having balanced the competing article 8 and article 10 rights. Tom was instructed jointly by two health boards who opposed the application.
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Health Body A v JW and another [2024] EWCOP 40
The applicant applied for declarations that it was in the best interests of JW to undergo a dental extraction under general anaesthetic. As it was proposed that she had a general anaesthetic, it was also proposed to carry out a blood test, a cervical smear test and some personal care tasks. The application was successful.
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A Health Board v AZ and Ors (Termination of Childhood Pregnancy: Guidance) [2023] EWHC 2517
Tom represented the applicant in this serious medical treatment case. The health board sought declarations that it would be in the best interests of an 11-year-old girl to undergo a termination of pregnancy and for tissue to be taken from the placenta to be used for the purposes of forensic testing in a criminal investigation. Mrs Justice Arbuthnot set out guidance for similar cases, which was endorsed by the President of the Family Division. The judgment is available here.
Tom’s family practice relates to cases involving children. His case load includes cases involving medical treatment decisions of children and young adults, cases with an international dimension and cases raising human rights considerations. He has appeared in cases of neglect, substance misuse, non-accidental injury and cases involving the deprivation of liberty of children.
Notable Family Law cases
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Re C (A Child) [2024] EWHC 3331 (Fam)
Tom was instructed by the Applicant in this serious medical treatment case. The application was for a declaration that it was in the best interests of a 17-year-old to be given life-saving insulin medication against her wishes. As the patient was Gillick competent to make the decision herself, the application was considered under the High Court’s inherent jurisdiction. The application was successful.
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A Local Authority v. A Mother and A Child [2020] EWHC 2395 (Fam)
Tom was instructed by a local authority to seek an order under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court in this deprivation of liberty application. The case sets out the correct approach to authorising a deprivation of liberty under the inherent jurisdiction where one of the relevant criteria under section 25 Children Act 1989 is not satisfied and where the placement is unregulated.
Tom is regularly instructed to attend inquests and inquiries on behalf of government departments, local authorities, health bodies, the police and bereaved families. He has experience in healthcare cases, cases involving mental health provision, cases engaging article 2 and jury inquests. He has experience of assisting as part of a wider counsel team on inquiries and experience of representing clients in civil litigation arising out of inquests and inquiries.
Notable Inquests & Inquiries cases
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Covid-19 Inquiry (ongoing)
Tom is currently instructed by ‘Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK’ in the national Covid-19 inquiry. He is particularly concerned with the numerous families within the group from Wales and has advised the group on a range of healthcare issues relating to the devolution arrangement in Wales.
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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 with mental health problems who died in his cell during the course his sentence. The inquest considered the processes for transferring prisoners to a secure hospital under section 47 of the Mental Health Act 1983. No regulation 28 report was made.
Tom prosecutes and defends in criminal cases. He has experience of representing police forces in applications for account freezing orders, cash forfeiture, forced marriage prevention orders and public interest immunity applications. He is a member of the Regulatory Panel of Prosecuting Advocates (B Panel), the CPS (General Crime) Panel (Level 2) and the CPS (Extradition) Panel (Level 1).
Notable Crime and Regulatory cases
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R v. F [2024]
Tom prosecuted in this stalking case where the Defendant was not fit to plead. Following a trial of the facts, the sentencing hearing involved questioning a consultant psychiatrist on the making of a hospital order with restrictions pursuant to section 37 / 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.
Endorsements
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB)
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate.
View my privacy policy.
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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