Richard Booth KC and Owain Thomas KC to speak at Clinical Negligence Conference - Nov 2023
Public Law
Owain has a broad public law practice which encompasses public inquiries and judicial review challenges in all areas of his practice, including tax. He has experience of regulatory challenges in the healthcare sector e.g challenges to disciplinary decisions by the GMC or the management of performance lists and also more broadly, e.g. challenges to the language requirements for doctors based on EU law. He has particular expertise in criminal injuries compensation cases involving judicial review in the Upper Tribunal and above.
Selected Cases
- Hutton and others v Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority [2016] EWCA Civ 1305: succeeded in a judicial review claim for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority on time limits for historic claims for compensation
- Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry (2010-2012): Counsel for the NHSLA.
- Redfern Inquiry (2007-2008): Into Nuclear Industry (representing BNFL
- The Alder Hey Inquiry into the Removal and Retention of Organs: Junior Counsel for the Alder Hey.
- Independent Inquiry into the Conduct and Performance of Richard Neale (2003): Junior Counsel to the Inquiry instructed by the Department of Health. Chairman Susan Matthews QC.
- R (Hutton and others) v FTT and CICA [2016] EWCA Civ 1305: case concerning time limits for applications for compensation for historic crimes.
- R (Tene) v Health Education England (2014): Judicial Review of language requirements for doctors in training.
- R (Gibson) v GMC (2014): Judicial Review of GMC Registrars decision to convene review hearing.
- Dr N v Warrington PCT [2012] UKUT 179 (AAC): Article 9 challenge to removal of doctor from performers list for introducing religious content to consultations.
Minority Report: Material Contribution or Genetics? - Oct 2023
On 5th October we are hosting a seminar discussing material contribution, underlying genetic conditions, secondary victims (including an update on Paul) and the scope of duty. This seminar is...
Owain Thomas KC to speak at the Legal Training Consultancy’s VAT Update 2023 - Jul 2023
Owain Thomas KC will be among the excellent line up of speakers at the Legal Training Consultancy's VAT Update 2023 - an online half day conference from 1.45pm to 5pm on 5th July 2023. Owain will...
Owain Thomas KC wins VAT judicial review for Gloucestershire NHS Foundation Trust - Feb 2023
The dispute concerned the recovery of VAT on the goods and consumables element of a managed theatre service. HMRC had historically only accepted that the services element was claimable pursuant to the...
Owain Thomas KC and Paul Reynolds represent the UK before the CJEU in Luxembourg - Sep 2022
Owain Thomas KC and Paul Reynolds are appearing before the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg on 28 September 2022 where they will be representing the United Kingdom in relation to...
Owain Thomas KC and Sarabjit Singh KC to speak at the Legal Training Consultancy’s Clinical Negligence Update 2022 - Sep 2022
Owain Thomas KC and Sarabjit Singh KC will be among the excellent line up of speakers at the Legal Training Consultancy's Clinical Negligence Update 2022 - an online half day conference from 1.30pm to...
Owain Thomas QC and Paul Reynolds have successfully represented HMRC in the Court of Appeal - Jun 2022
The Court of Appeal (Whipple LJ, Newey LJ and Asplin LJ) has dismissed a classification appeal brought by Build-a-Bear concerning HMRC’s charging of customs duty on products imported into the United...
1COR give an update on VAT at latest Legal Training Consultancy Tax Conference - Apr 2022
On 5th April 2022 Owain Thomas QC, Sarabjit Singh QC and Isabel McArdle are providing updates on the latest changes to VAT at Legal Training Consultancy Tax Conference. They join other expert speakers...
Wrongful Birth Claims: Theory, Law and Practice Webinar - Oct 2021
Join a stellar line up of speakers for an afternoon discussing wrongful birth claims, including a case law update, costs and more on 21st October 2021 from 2-5pm on Teams. This event is accredited for...
1COR Quarterly Medical Law Review – Spring 2021 – Issue 9 - Jul 2021
Welcome to the ninth issue of the Quarterly Medical Law Review, brought to you by the barristers at 1 Crown Office Row. Download the Spring 2021 newsletter here: 1COR Quarterly Medical Law...
Legal Training Consultancy VAT Update Conference 2021 - Jul 2021
Join Sarabjit Singh QC as he chairs this Legal Training Consultancy Conference on 20th July and tune in at 16:05 to hear Owain Thomas QC give a recent case law update on Exemptions and Zero Rating. He...
Owain Thomas QC and Paul Reynolds successfully resist VAT appeal by Build-a-Bear - Apr 2021
The Upper Tribunal (Mrs Justice Smith v UT Judge Greenbank) has dismissed a classification appeal brought by Build-a-Bear concerning HMRC’s charging of customs duty and import VAT on product...
Owain Thomas QC successfully appeared for the UK in one of the last references to the CJEU - Nov 2020
Owain Thomas QC successfully appeared for the UK in the long running Case C-77/19 Kaplan International Colleges UK Ltd v HMRC involving the application of the exemption from VAT for costs sharing...
Join the Legal Training Consultancy VAT Update with Owain Thomas QC - Jun 2020
The Legal Training Consultancy are hosting a half day online conference with experts speakers, including Owain Thomas QC, looking at the latest developments in VAT. It is designed to appeal to...
Owain Thomas QC represents the UK in CJEU in Case C-77/19 Kaplan just days before Brexit and on the day the withdrawal bill received Royal Assent. - Jan 2020
Owain appeared before the CJEU on 23rd January 2020 in this VAT case concerning Kaplan Colleges. The case was referred by the First tier Tribunal in the UK In January 2019 and concerns the operation...
Owain Thomas QC gives insight into VAT and Property at the Bloomsbury Professional Property Tax Conference 2019 - Nov 2019
On 27th November 2019, Owain Thomas QC joins a panel of experts to provide an update on VAT and property at the Bloomsbury Professional Property Tax Conference 2019. The conference will also cover...
Owain Thomas QC judges at the 2019 LSE-Featherstone Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Moot - Feb 2019
The LSE-Featherstone Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Moot competition continues to provide a way for law students to gain trial experience, speak with legal professionals, campaigners and...
Owain Thomas QC in perhaps the last reference to the CJEU from a domestic court before Brexit - Feb 2019
Owain Thomas QC represented HMRC in the First Tier Tribunal in case arising from proceedings between Kaplan International Colleges (UK) Ltd and HMRC. It involves a company set up by the Kaplan Group...
The End, the Beginning of the End or the End of the Beginning: Erasure, Remediation and Rights of Appeal in Disciplinary Proceedings - Nov 2018
This seminar, with opening remarks from Richard Booth QC and chaired by Clodagh Bradley QC, will look at Erasure, Remediation and Rights of Appeal relating to professional discipline and regulatory...
Law Pod UK Ep. 47: Darnley v Croydon Health Services NHS Trust - Oct 2018
In Darnley v Croydon NHS Trust [2018] UKSC 50 the Supreme Court has ruled that hospitals are liable for the actions and statements of their non-medical staff in A & E. Rosalind English discusses...
Owain Thomas QC and Isabel McArdle successful in Abuse of Law Appeal - Apr 2018
HMRC v Newey T/A Ocean Finance was heard by the Court of Appeal in January 2018. Owain Thomas QC and Isabel McArdle acted for the Commissioners in this case concerning questions of who the true...
Owain Thomas QC and Matthew Hill applied for a court order allowing the OPCW to analyse blood samples taken from victims of the Salisbury nerve agent attack - Mar 2018
Owain Thomas QC and Matthew Hill have successfully applied for a court order allowing the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to conduct analysis of blood samples taken from...
Congratulations to Owain Thomas QC, Jeremy Hyam QC and Amy Mannion on being appointed as Recorders - Mar 2018
We are delighted to announce that Owain Thomas QC, Jeremy Hyam QC and Amy Mannion have been appointed as recorders by the Queen, on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, the Right Honourable David Gauke...
Owain Thomas QC is appearing before the Grand Chamber of the CJEU in VAT case involving Volkswagen Financial Services - Feb 2018
The case concerns recovery of VAT on overheads of Volkswagen's hire purchase transactions and raises important issues as to the scope of input tax recovery for finance leases and the scope of...
Owain Thomas QC and Isabel McArdle appear in Court of Appeal in Abuse Case and Tax Avoidance - Feb 2018
Owain Thomas QC and Isabel McArdle have appeared for HMRC in its appeal in the case of Paul Newey T/A Ocean Finance. The appeal concerns questions of what abuse of rights means in the context of a...
Owain Thomas QC and Isabel McArdle successful in resisting permission in tax judicial review - Feb 2018
Owain Thomas QC and Isabel McArdle acted for HMRC in its successful resistance to an application for permission to bring judicial review on several Grounds before Sir Ross Cranston, on 24 January...
Owain Thomas QC acted for the UK government in a recent preliminary ruling in the Court of Justice of the European Union - Oct 2017
Owain Thomas QC acted for the UK in the CJEU regarding the correct treatment of financial leasing transactions for motor vehicles with an option to purchase against Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. A...
Owain Thomas QC wins VAT case for woodland charity - Sep 2017
Owain Thomas QC successfully represented Will Woodlands, a private woodland charitable trust in an appeal against HMRC's decision to resile from a business/non-business method for the recovery of...
Supreme Court refers questions to the CJEU in Volkswagen Financial Services Ltd v Commissioners for HMRC - Apr 2017
In Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Ltd v Commissioners for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs the Supreme Court has referred 4 questions on the interpretation of the VAT Directive in the context of...
Stephen Miller QC, Philip Havers QC and Owain Thomas QC in a significant clinical negligence judgment - Apr 2017
In an interesting application of the Bolam principles, Mr Justice Foskett concluded that there was no established body of opinion in 1998, which would have concluded that there was a clearly...
Owain Thomas QC wins judicial review claim for Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority - Feb 2017
In Hutton and others v Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority [2016] EWCA Civ 1305, Owain Thomas QC succeeded in a judicial review claim for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority on time...
Owain Thomas QC wins Court of Appeal case on time limits for victims of criminal injuries - Dec 2016
In CICA v Hutton and others the Court of Appeal has overturned the decision of the Upper Tribunal which itself quashed the FTT's refusal of very late claims under the Criminal Injuries Compensation...
Owain Thomas QC in the Court of Appeal in Criminal Injuries Compensation case - Dec 2016
In CICA v Hutton and others Owain Thomas QC represented the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in the Court of Appeal for the second time in this long running case. The previous Court of...
Owain Thomas QC, leading Amy Mannion, Acted for HMRC against Volkswagen Financial Services - Nov 2016
On Thursday 3 November Owain Thomas QC, leading Amy Mannion, acted for HMRC in the Supreme Court in Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Ltd (VWFS) v HMRC. The case concerned what is a fair and...
Owain Thomas QC representing the United Kingdom Government in the CJEU - Jun 2016
Owain Thomas QC is representing the United Kingdom Government in the CJEU in Luxembourg on 30th June 2016 in one of the first cases to go before the Court since the Brexit vote last week. Owain is...
Owain Thomas QC wins VAT case on diagnostic services for the NHS against HMRC - May 2016
Owain Thomas QC was instructed by KPMG in Inhealth (London Limited) v HMRC [2016] UKFTT 289 (TC) which concerned the VAT treatment of salary costs invoiced to Inhealth relating to the operation of a...
Owain Thomas QC and Matthew Donmall win Supreme Court VAT case on third party consideration - May 2016
The Supreme Court has today handed down judgment in Airtours Holidays Transport Limited v HMRC. Owain Thomas QC (in his first appearance as a silk) and Matthew Donmall persuaded the majority of the...
Owain Thomas QC and Matthew Donmall in the Supreme Court - Mar 2016
Owain Thomas QC and Matthew Donmall appeared in the Supreme Court in Airtours Holiday Transport Ltd v HMRC. In the Court of Appeal Owain, appearing for HMRC, succeeded in arguing that the VAT paid...
‘Six of the Best!’ 6 members appointed Queen’s Counsel - Jan 2016
We are absolutely delighted to announce the appointment of Marina Wheeler, Henry Witcomb, Owain Thomas, Jeremy Hyam, Clodagh Bradley and Peter Skelton as Queen's Counsel. This provides welcome...
Owain Thomas wins Court of Appeal customs law case - Dec 2015
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal by Cooneen Watts and Stone Ltd in this case involving the customs treatment of specialist combat clothing imported for the benefit of the armed forces....
Owain Thomas in the Court of Appeal in customs law case on military clothing - Nov 2015
In Cooneen Watts and Stone Limited v HMRC Owain Thomas appeared in the Court of Appeal (Laws, Elias LLj and Russell J) in case concerning waiver of customs duty for military clothing. The case...
Owain Thomas and Matthew Donmall obtain a reference by the Court of Appeal to the CJEU in VAT case - Nov 2015
In HMRC v Mercedes Benz Financial Services [2015] EWCA Civ 1211 the Court of Appeal has decided to refer to the Court of Justice of the European Union questions concerning the categorisation of...
Owain Thomas successful in HMRC tax avoidance case - Jun 2015
Owain Thomas successfully represented HMRC in HMRC v Pendragon Plc [2015] UKSC 37. The Supreme Court unanimously overturned the Court of Appeal's judgment and found that a complex tax avoidance scheme...
Owain Thomas wins for HMRC in Court of Appeal VAT dispute with Sub-One represented by Philippa Whipple QC and Isabel McArdle - Jun 2014
The Court of Appeal has delivered judgment in Sub One, the case about VAT on hot takeaway food. HMRC, represented by Owain Thomas, persuaded the Court of Appeal to uphold the judgment of the Upper...
Owain Thomas succeeds in defending a PCT’s decision not to admit a Doctor who introduced religious content into consultations - Oct 2013
Owain Thomas has successfully represented a Primary Care Trust in the Upper Tribunal in an appeal on the grounds that the PCT's decision breached Article 9 of the ECHR. The doctor had been found to be...
Owain Thomas and Matthew Donmall win for HMRC in test case on VAT liability for medical supplies - May 2013
Owain Thomas and Matthew Donmall have won for HMRC a test case on the VAT liability of private hospitals for supplies of prostheses and medication, overturning the Court of Appeal's decision in 1997...
Owain Thomas wins for HMRC against BAA Ltd in the Court of Appeal in a leading case on input tax - Feb 2013
This case concerned whether BAA Limited could claim back input tax paid by a special purpose vehicle (ADIL) during the hostile takeover of the UK airport operator, BAA Plc. The Court of Appeal sought...
New Appointments to the Attorney General’s A, B and C Panels – February 2013 - Feb 2013
We are delighted to announce the following new appointments to the Attorney General's Panels - Owain Thomas to the A Panel (a re-appointment), Amy Mannion and John Jolliffe to the B Panel and Caroline...
Ten 1COR members and our Chambers Academic have contributed to the 3rd Edition of “Burnett-Hall on Environmental Law” - Feb 2013
David Hart QC, Angus McCullough QC, Owain Thomas, Jeremy Hyam, Suzanne Lambert, Richard Mumford, John Jolliffe, Rachel Marcus, Matthew Donmall, Karwan Eskerie and Rosalind English (our Chambers...
Owain Thomas wins for HMRC in VAT dispute with Sub-One represented by Philippa Whipple QC and Isabel McArdle - Oct 2012
Owain Thomas, acting for HMRC, has won a case in the Upper Tribunal brought by Sub-One Limited, a member of the Subway franchise chain. Sub-One was represented by Philippa Whipple QC and Isabel...
Owain Thomas represents the family of boy killed by falling lamppost - May 2012
Tommy Hollis died in February 2010 when a lamppost fell on him while he was out with his nanny outside Chiswick Town Hall. The support structure for the lamp post was cut by a McNicholas worker days...
New Appointments to the Attorney General’s A, B and C Panels – February 2012 - Feb 2012
We are delighted to announce the following new appointments to the Attorney General's Panels - Oliver Sanders to the A panel, Robert Wastell to the B panel and Adam Wagner to the C panel. The 23...
GMC’s findings of fact re Dr Wakefield announced - Feb 2010
