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 is ranked as a “rising star” 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. He is regularly instructed to advise in writing on liability, evidence and quantum. He has experience of advising and acting in respect of claims brought against public authorities in negligence and under the Human Rights Act 1998.
DS
Thomas successfully represented the Claimant at trial where the Claimant was injured from the defective building work of a housing association.
SB
Thomas successfully represented the Claimants at trial, despite low velocity evidence, and recovered two sets of fixed costs pursuant to section IIIA of CPR 45.
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.
Thomas has a growing clinical negligence practice. He has experience of cases involving negligent treatment, delayed or failed diagnoses. Prior to joining 9 Gough Chambers, Thomas taught tort law to undergraduates at Queen Mary, University of London.
DP
Thomas acted for the Claimant in a clinical negligence claim arising out the negligent failure to protect the Claimant’s radial nerve when applying an external fixator during surgery. The claim settled prior to trial.
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 as a “rising star” in the Legal 500 for Court of Protection and Community Care. 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 and 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 frequently gives lectures and training on a variety of aspects of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and is the secretary of the Court of Protection Practitioner’s Association in Wales.
Re S
Thomas is representing a health board in a challenge to a patient’s detention at her supported living accommodation before a Tier 3 judge. The patient has emotionally unstable personality disorder and ADHD. The High Court has been asked to consider conflicting capacity evidence where P is found to have capacity to use social media and the internet but lack capacity to contact strangers.
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 pursuant to section 16 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to move the patient from her home to an alternative residence as a result of unsanitary living conditions and hoarding behaviours. The patient suffered with what was referred to as ‘extreme self-neglect’. Thomas was successful in arguing that any move should not involve the use of force or restraint, which was ultimately amended within the transition planning and not used in her conveyance.
Re M
Thomas represented the applicant at a contested final hearing where five witnesses gave evidence. 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.
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.
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 C
Thomas was instructed as junior counsel for the Children’s Guardian (led by Tim Parker KC) in a finding of fact hearing which was listed for fifteen days. The local authority sought to prove thirty separate allegations including sexual assault of a minor perpetrated by foster carers, inter-sibling sexual assault and rape. At the finding of fact hearing, 21 witnesses gave evidence, including a vulnerable 17-year-old child.
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 acting in a wide range of public law matters, particularly in cases linked to community care, education, mental incapacity, mental health and healthcare.
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 in abuse cases.
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:
Thomas has experience of attending inquests on behalf of families and public bodies in cases involving deaths in custody, mental health provision and road traffic accidents. 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 [2022]
Thomas is currently representing an NHS body in an ongoing 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. Thomas cross-examined two consultant paediatricians on issues relating to the identification of aspiration pneumonia and the circumstances when an acute community nurse team would become involved in post-discharge care.
Re LC [2021]
Thomas represented the family at this inquest into the death of a paramedic after a motorcycle crash.
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.
