Sarah Hannett

Date of call: 2003 Lincoln's Inn

Sarah practises in all areas of public, planning, local government and employment law.

Sarah’s public law practise encompasses education, community care, homelessness, immigration and planning. Sarah is regularly instructed in judicial review matters by both claimants and by public authorities. Sarah was appointed to the Attorney-General’s C Panel of Counsel in 2008.

Sarah has particular experience in education law. She appears regularly in SENDIST (now the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal), as well as in statutory appeals and in judicial review applications in the High Court. Sarah has advised local authorities, parents, SENDIST and the School Adjudicator. She advises on all areas of education law, including issues such as special educational needs, disability discrimination, admissions and exclusions.

Sarah has advised both claimants and local authorities in the field of community care law. Recent matters include the leaving care duties under the Children Act 1989, challenges to a failure to assess and the failure to provide accommodation under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948. Sarah is experienced in cases concerning asylum seekers and persons subject to immigration control. In addition, Sarah has extensive experience of appearing on behalf of both claimants and local authorities in homelessness appeals under the Housing Act 1996.

Sarah has an extensive planning and environmental law practice. With Paul Stinchcombe, Sarah was instructed by Stop Stansted Expansion to appear in the G1 Stansted Airport Inquiry, and appeared in the subsequent s.288 appeal. Previously, in 2006, Sarah was junior counsel to Birmingham International Airport Limited in the Coventry Airport Inquiry. Sarah has advised local authorities on environmental issues and on rights of way. In 2009 Sarah was named as one of the highest rated planning barristers under 35 in Planning magazine.

Issues relating to human rights arise in all areas of Sarah’s practice. She has taught human rights law at undergraduate and postgraduate level since 2000. In 2008 Sarah was a fellow at the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York, funded by a Pegasus Scholarship awarded by Inner Temple.

Sarah’s practice includes professional discipline and regulatory work. Together with Timothy Straker QC, Sarah has been instructed in several applications for judicial review against the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. She has represented medical practitioners in hearings before committees of the General Medical Council, acted for solicitors in judicial review proceedings brought against the Law Society and has been instructed to advise and appear on behalf the General Dental Council.

Sarah regularly acts for both claimants and respondents in the Employment Tribunal, and has particular experience in claims for unfair dismissal, all forms of discrimination and TUPE.

Sarah has published extensively in the field of public law and human rights law. With Hodge Malek QC and Andrew Sharland, Sarah edited the human rights volume of Atkin’s Court Forms. Sarah is the editor of the Local Government Bulletin, is a contributing editor for the Education Law Journal. and was previously a case note editor for the Journal of Environmental Law.

Prior to practice at the Bar, Sarah was a lecturer in law at King’s College London from 2000 until 2005. Prior to this, Sarah was a part-time lecturer at the University of New South Wales in Australia. She continues to teach human rights and environmental law on an occasional basis at King’s College London and University College London.

APPOINTMENTS
2008 (March): Appointed Attorney General's Counsel to the Crown 'C' Panel
2000-2005: Lecturer in law, King's College, London
2002: Visiting lecturer at McGill University (funded by a Canadian Studies Faculty Research Award)

AFFILIATIONS
Administrative Law Bar Association
Human Rights Lawyers Association

Planning and Environmental Bar Association
Lawyers for Liberty
British Institute of Human Rights
Bar Pro Bono Unit

EDUCATION
2002-2003
Inns of Court School of Law, Bar Vocational Course, Very Competent
Lincoln's Inn Sir Thomas More Bursary
Hardwick Entrance Award

1998-1999
McGill University, LLM in comparative human rights
Canadian Commonwealth Scholar
Dean's Honour List

1994-1998
University of Nottingham, LLB Hons (first class)
Sweet & Maxwell Prize and the Law Students Graduate Prize (both awarded to the student at the top of the graduating class)
Rowe & Maw prize (best overall Part 1 examination results)
University Exhibition prize (for part 1 examination results)

1996-1997
University of Texas, (exchange)
Simmons & Simmons Scholarship for Law with American Law

LECTURES
Sarah has given numerous seminars to public authorities and others on all aspects of public law and human rights.

CLERKS EMAIL
Daniel Perry and Anthony King