The areas of work in which we have particular expertise, experience and excellence.
The areas of work in which we have particular expertise, experience and excellence.
Call: 2015
"Thomas' oral advocacy is very good, he is persuasive and charming. His written documentation is excellent too. He is going from strength to strength."
Chambers & Partners 2023
He has a broad civil and public law practice and has experience in civil litigation, health and social care, mental capacity, family law, inquests and inquiries.
Thomas is ranked in the “up and coming” category in Chambers UK who note that “he is going from strength to strength” (Chambers UK, 2023). He is ranked in the “rising star” category in the Legal 500 where he is described as showing “real attention to detail and grapples with cases quickly” (Legal 500, 2023). The breadth of his practice has made him an adaptable and comfortable advocate.
Thomas graduated first place on the Law and French programme at Cardiff University. Prior to joining Chambers, he worked as a stagiaire at the European Court of Justice and as a research assistant at the Law Commission of England and Wales. Outside of work, he is learning Welsh and is a Trustee of a social mobility charity. He is a member of the Bar Council Remuneration Committee and is an active member of Gray’s Inn.
He is a member of the Attorney General’s Civil Panel of Counsel (C Panel).
Thomas represents claimants and defendants in road traffic, employer’s liability, public liability and product liability claims. He is regularly instructed to attend costs and case management conferences, interim applications and trials in fast track and multi-track cases.
Thomas is frequently instructed in claims brought against public bodies in negligence and under the Human Rights Act 1998. His case load has involved claims by prisoners arising from alleged mistreatment in prison, claims for false imprisonment and claims against local authorities for psychological harm arising from failures in social services functions.
PD
Thomas successfully acted for the Defendant in this prisoner assault claim. The claim was struck out and the court disapplied QOCS pursuant to CPR 44.15, entitling the Defendant to its costs.
SR
Thomas successfully acted for the Defendant in this successful strike out application. The court accepted Thomas’ submissions that the claim was an abuse of the court’s process as the Claimant was seeking to re-litigate a previously litigated claim contrary to the principle of res judicata.
DS
Thomas successfully represented the Claimant at trial where the Claimant was injured from the defective building work of a housing association.
Thomas is instructed in claims arising out of alleged clinical negligence. He has experience of cases involving the overdose of medication, failures or delays in diagnosis and negligent surgery. He is frequently instructed to act in claims arising from the breakdown of mental health provision or failures in following the Mental Capacity Act 2005 or the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
ML
Thomas is acting for the Defendant in a claim arising out of the alleged failure to diagnose and treat the Claimant’s kidney stone.
JR
Thomas is acting for the Claimant in a claim arising out of a negligent Lucentis injection in the Claimant’s left eye which resulted in a total loss of vision.
Y
Thomas acted for an elderly patient who lacked litigation capacity who was given an overdose of her medication at hospital which led to nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. The claim settled prior to trial and Thomas represented the Claimant at the approval hearing.
Thomas is ranked in the “rising star” category in the Legal 500 (Court of Protection and Community Care) where he is described as showing “real attention to detail and grapples with cases quickly”. He is also ranked in the “up and coming” category in Chambers UK (Court of Protection: Health and Welfare) who note that “he is going from strength to strength”. In 2020, he was shortlisted for the Family Law Awards Young Barrister of the Year.
He has experience in both personal welfare and property and affairs jurisdictions. He has appeared in disputes relating to residence, care, contact and medical treatment.
Prior to joining Chambers, Thomas worked for the Law Commission on its review into the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. In 2019, he was seconded to the Welsh Government where he advised on the implementation of Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019 in Wales.
Thomas lectures part-time to post-graduate students studying on the Legal Aspects of Medical Practice course at Cardiff University. He is the secretary of the Court of Protection Practitioner’s Association in Wales.
Re S
Thomas represented a family member in a contested application to appoint an attorney for property and financial affairs.
Re M
Thomas represented the applicant at a five-day contested final hearing. P suffered with multiple sclerosis who required decisions in respect of her residence, care and contact. There was a conflict between her family members, health board and local authority. The applicant was successful in obtaining all orders it sought.
Re S
Thomas represented P, through the Official Solicitor, who had a diagnosis of autism and cerebral palsy. The applicant local authority sought an order to move the patient from her home to an alternative residence as a result of unsanitary living conditions and hoarding behaviours.
Thomas practises in all aspects of the law relating to children in both private and public proceedings. He has appeared in cases of neglect, substance misuse, non-accidental injury and cases involving the deprivation of liberty of children. In 2019, he was nominated for the Association of Lawyers for Children’s ‘outstanding newcomer’ award.
He has experience of cases involving medical treatment decisions in respect of children, cases where the care package amounts to a deprivation of liberty and cases with an international dimension.
Thomas was instructed by the Home Office 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.
A Local Authority v. A Mother and A Child [2020] EWHC 2395 (Fam)
Thomas was instructed by a local authority to seek an order under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court to deprive a child of his liberty in an unregulated placement. 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.
Re R
Thomas was instructed as junior counsel for the children through their Children’s Guardian, led by Oliver Millington, in this fact-finding hearing. The subject child suffered three fractures and multiple lesions / bruises to his body. The case involved consideration of expert evidence from a consultant paediatrician and a paediatric radiologist.
Re C
Thomas was instructed as junior counsel for the children through their Children’s Guardian, led by Tim Parker KC, in a finding of fact hearing over fifteen days. The local authority sought to prove thirty separate allegations including sexual assault of a minor perpetrated
Re M
Thomas represented a young person in an application for a deprivation of liberty order in the High Court. Thomas’ client had learning disability and a long-standing history of criminal behaviour.
Thomas has experience of attending inquests on behalf of families and public bodies arising from deaths in custody, mental health provision and from road traffic collisions. He has experience of assisting as part of a wider counsel team on inquiries and experience of representing clients in litigation arising out of inquiries.
Re P
Thomas is currently representing an NHS body in an ongoing article 2 inquest into the death of a prisoner who died in hospital after attempting to kill himself in prison.
Re W [2021]
Thomas represented the family at this inquest into the death of a two-year old girl with a background of severe neurological disability who died of aspiration pneumonia after discharge from hospital.
Re LC [2021]
Thomas represented the family at this inquest into the death of a paramedic after a motorcycle crash.
Thomas is instructed in a range of administrative and public law matters for government departments, local authorities, NHS bodies, the police and private individuals. He has experience in cases dealing with the administrative functions of central and local government particularly in community care, mental health and healthcare settings.
He is a member of the Attorney General’s Civil Panel of Counsel (C Panel).
Thomas has experience of advising and representing clients in ordinary residence disputes under the Care Act 2014, claims arising out of failures or delays in unlawful deprivations of liberty and claims against local authorities for psychological harm arising from failures in social services functions.
Thomas prosecutes and defends in criminal cases and appeals in the Crown Court and the Magistrates’ Court. 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. He is a member of the following panels:
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB)
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. To see my privacy notice click here.
