Hannah Edwards

Barrister

Hannah Edwards is a highly sought after junior whose practice encompasses the spectrum of serious crime including homicide, international organised crime and large-scale fraud.

Hannah is a formidable and persuasive advocate ranked in the Legal 500 as a Leading Junior. Hannah is renowned for her meticulous preparation and incisive cross-examination. She is quickly able to assimilate complex information and is both forensic in her attention to detail and uncompromising in her preparation. As a result, Hannah is regularly instructed in high-profile criminal cases involving a very high page count and substantial disclosure.

Hannah has acted before the Administrative Court by way of application for injunctive relief and judicial review. Hannah’s ability to distil complex issues means that she is sought after for cases involving novel or challenging points of law. She has been successful in a claim for judicial review of a decision of a magistrates’ court to grant the prosecution an adjournment which ultimately resulted in a not guilty verdict for her client.

Hannah is often privately instructed to act for high net-worth individuals where her robust judgement, discretion and command of the detail distinguish her. She is known for her tactical insight and clear strategy from the outset of a case. Hannah has successfully obtained wasted costs orders against the Crown Prosecution Service.

Professional and lay clients value Hannah’s approachable manner and her ability to explain complex legal issues in a straightforward and practical way. Hannah combines rigorous legal analysis with strong interpersonal skills, making her a trusted advocate in high-pressure situations.

Prior to joining Chambers, Hannah worked at Brett Wilson LLP, assisting with the firm’s serious fraud, asset recovery and private criminal defence practice. Hannah gained exposure to cases where civil claims ran parallel to criminal prosecutions and frequently acted for defendants who were subject to worldwide freezing injunctions.

Testimonials

"Hannah is exceptional. Not only does she have a brilliant mind, her advocacy and ability to communicate with everyone sets her apart from others." Legal 500 2026, Crime
"Hannah is a highly capable barrister, able to manage cases with a vast amount of case material. She exhibits a remarkable capacity to distil complex legal issues and ensure that no legal detail is overlooked. She also has an excellent manner with clients." Legal 500 2025, Crime
“Hannah is unbelievably bright and committed to her cases” Legal 500 2024, Rising Star: Crime
“A junior barrister who will for sure go all the way,” Legal 500 2024, Rising Star: Crime

Qualifications

Bar Professional Training Course, University of the West of England (Very Competent)
BA in Jurisprudence, The University of Oxford

Associations and Memberships

The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn – Albion Richardson Scholar (2015)
Criminal Bar Association
Women in Criminal Law
South Eastern Circuit

Publications

Bail: breaches and coronavirus, Westlaw

Homicide and Serious Violence

R v G (ongoing) - Murder: Junior counsel defending in multi-handed murder of a very young baby.
R v S (ongoing) - Attempted murder: Junior counsel defending youth in multi-handed attempted murder in London (stabbing).
R v C (ongoing) - Attempted murder: Counsel for first defendant in multi-handed attempted murder in post-code rival dispute.
R v K (ongoing) - Attempted murder: Junior counsel representing female charged with the attempted murder of her ex-partner.
R v S (ongoing) - GBH with intent: Counsel for defendant serving life-sentence for murder accused of stabbing another prisoner.
R v WG (ongoing) - GBH with intent: Counsel for young defendant accused of stabbing pedestrian in road-rage attack.
R v A (ongoing) - GBH with intent: Counsel for defendant accused of driving at high speed at a pedestrian in revenge attack causing serious injuries.
R v S (ongoing) - child cruelty: Counsel for defendant accused of causing serious injuries to his twin babies resulting in permanent brain damage.
R v C - Murder: Junior counsel acting for defendant charged with murder and manslaughter in alleged drug supply revenge attack. The defendant was acquitted of both murder and manslaughter.
R v K - Murder: Junior counsel defending youth in multi-handed murder in Tottenham (Central Criminal Court).
R v T - Murder: Junior counsel in multi-handed murder and alleged revenge attack by brothel owner. The defendant was acquitted of both murder and manslaughter.
R v CT - Murder: Junior counsel in high profile murder of a youth on a London bus during rush hour.
R v S - Attempted murder: Counsel for defendant charged in a multi-handed attempted murder. Secured bail in the magistrates’ court.
R v LW - GBH with intent (stabbing): Counsel for youth in alleged revenge stabbing. After multiple applications for disclosure and written representations as to the deficiencies in the Crown’s case, the Crown offered no evidence.
R v BP - GBH with intent (stabbing): Counsel for woman charged with stabbing her partner. Negotiated a plea to ABH and secured a suspended sentence.
R v C - Aggravated burglary: Counsel for first defendant in multi-handed aggravated burglary involving the use of a knife and ransacking of property. CCTV showed the defendant entering and leaving the address. The defence raised was that the burglary had been a set up. The defendant was unanimously acquitted following trial.

Serious Organised Crime

R v C (ongoing) - Perverting the course of justice (linked to double murder): Counsel for first defendant in multi-handed conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and conspiracy to steal. It is alleged that vehicles were stolen to order and were then used by others in double-murder in London. The defendant is then alleged to have assisted in the disposal of the vehicles following the killings.
R v L (ongoing) - Human trafficking (prostitution): Junior counsel for first of nineteen defendants charged with three conspiracies concerning the running of an international and highly commercial prostitution business involving in excess of 750 sex workers and the multi-layered laundering of millions of pounds of proceeds from this business internationally.
R v H - Perverting the course of justice (murder trial): Counsel for mother charged with perverting the course of justice in ongoing murder investigation having witnessed her youth son stab and kill her abusive partner and subsequently lied to attending police officers.
R v JH - Conspiracy to steal (linked to double shooting): Counsel for defendant charged with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles that were stolen to order and subsequently used in double-shooting in London (Central Criminal Court). In excess of 400,000 pages of material served and case classified as VHCC.
R v Z - Drugs importation (3 tonnes of cocaine): Junior counsel for first defendant in conspiracy to import over £200million of class A drugs in what the NCA termed the “largest inland seizure” to date.
R v D - Drugs importation: Counsel for defendant charged with importation of multiple kgs of class A drugs. Following several applications for disclosure and representations in respect of the deficiencies of the police investigation, the Crown offered no evidence a week prior to trial.
R v D - Human trafficking: Junior counsel in seven handed conspiracy to traffic Romanian nationals with a view to exploitation in the construction industry and parallel money laundering conspiracy of the proceeds of the trafficking. Successful half time submission of no case to answer.
R v A – Human trafficking (prostitution): Junior counsel in ten-handed conspiracy to traffic sex workers in a highly commercial prostitution network working across London. There were over 100,000 pages of evidence served. The defendant was acquitted.
R v M - Commercial drugs supply (Encrochat): Junior counsel in conspiracy to supply over 25kg of class A drugs through Encrochat in one of the first prosecutions resulting from Operation Venetic.
R v V - Commercial drugs supply: Counsel for defendant accused of supplying over 90kg of cannabis.
R v IV - Commercial production of drugs: Counsel for first defendant in conspiracy to produce commercial quantities of cannabis across multiple warehouses. The defendant was unanimously acquitted following trial.
R v D - PWITS (Class A): Defendant unanimously acquitted following trial.
R v BD - PWITS (Class A): Secured a suspended sentence for defendant who pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs on the day of trial and was found to have played a “significant role”.

Sexual Offences

R v G: Junior counsel representing schoolteacher charged with historic offences in respect of fourteen students.
R v H: Junior counsel in three historic kidnaps and indecent assaults on school children in woods in 2002 and 2004. The investigation spanned two decades and involved a nationwide appeal on Crimewatch. The Crown offered no evidence in relation to two counts following a successful application to exclude evidence.
R v DB: Sexual assault - Defendant acquitted following trial.
R v D: Counsel for the former head coach of England Boxing charged with multiple counts of sexual assault against a fellow employee of England Boxing.
R v G: Sexual assault – defendant charged with sexually assaulting a woman whilst completing maintenance work at her home address. The defendant was acquitted.

R v L (ongoing) - VHCC: Junior counsel for the first of nineteen defendants alleged to have orchestrated and run an international prostitution ring and laundered millions of pounds from the UK to Spain. The prosecution relies heavily on extensive financial records tracing funds across borders, with over 200 bank accounts involved and multiple financial experts. Preparation for trial includes reviewing more than 300,000 pages of served material.
R v C (VHCC): Junior counsel for defendant charged with conspiracy to cheat the public revenue of over £20million. The case concerned an “off-set” VAT fraud arising out of Operation Barbados and an HMRC investigation that began in 2012 into an Organised Crime Group that conspired to cheat the public revenue through an MTIC fraud. VAT owed to HMRC by WNL from genuine trade in electrical goods and wholesale metals was offset by fake trade in Voice Over Internet Protocol airtime (VOIP). The investigation spanned a decade and involved the use of covert recordings across several months at key meetings between conspirators. There were a total of 24 defendants split over 4 trials.
R v SM: Junior counsel for first defendant charged with 17 counts of fraud and money laundering arising out of the alleged transfer of the proceeds of a building fraud targeting elderly people and alleged fraudulent “Bounce Back Loans” made during the COVID pandemic. The combined values of the monies involved in the alleged money laundering and frauds amounted to over £40million. Preparation for trial involved complex banking evidence and analysis of 45 separate accounts.
R v AWM: Junior counsel for defendant on two investment frauds in excess of $5million. This case was a private prosecution brought by the Hassenfeld family who were the original founders of the Hasbro Toys Brand (famous for games such as Cluedo, Monopoly and Twister).
R v FA: Counsel for defendant in private prosecution alleging ten conspiracies to supply counterfeit goods and a separate conspiracy to transfer criminal property representing the profits of the trading entities in excess of £2million. This was a paper case (non-CCDCS) involving over 140,000 pages of evidence. The defendant was acquitted of six of the ten offences and received a suspended sentence notwithstanding the value of the conspiracies.
R v C: Secured suspended sentence for defendant convicted of fraud valued at £120,000. The fraud involved abuse of trust through power of attorney.

Confiscation

R v B: Successfully resisted the Crown’s s.22 application to vary the defendant’s confiscation order. This involved both written submissions and a full contested hearing.
R v A: Conspiracy to defraud and money laundering - Secured a reduction in the benefit figure from c.£690.00 to c.£50,000.
R v B: Drugs conspiracy (class A) – Secured a reduction in benefit figure from c.£450,000 to c.£185,000.