Year of Call: 2009 (England and Wales) 1999 (Jamaica)Thalia was called to the Jamaican Bar in 1999 where she practised at the private bar and worked with a local human rights NGO (The Independent Jamaican Council for Human Rights). She transferred to the English Bar in 2009 after completing a Masters at Kings College (London) and working at Birnberg Peirce and Partners (London).
Thalia’s practice at the English Bar has been predominantly criminal defence and inquests; defending in serious crimes and acting for bereaved families in Article 2 inquests. She also has experience in family law and is frequently instructed in family proceedings as an expert on Jamaican law advising on constitutional law, extradition, child rights, and family proceedings.
Thalia has over 15 years of experience as a criminal advocate. She has defended in a range of offences including murder, rape, historic sexual offences and other violent crimes. She is often instructed to represent vulnerable defendants with mental health difficulties.
Hillsborough Inquests. Thalia has acted for bereaved families in the Hillsborough inquests where the jury concluded that the 96 Liverpool football fans were unlawfully killed. She was a member of the pathology team for 77 of the 96 and examined the pathology and medical evidence relevant to the timeline of death and medical cause of death.
Thalia also regularly represents bereaved families in inquests arising from deaths in prisons or where the conduct of the agents of the State is in issue.
Inquest into the death of Ann Marie Cox (2009) City of London Coroner’s Court. Ann Marie died at HMP Holloway. The jury was critical of the prison’s nursing staff’s failure to administer Ann Marie’s anti-psychotic medication which contributed to the deterioration of her health and their falsifying of her medical records to record that the medication had been administered.
Inquest into the death of Jean Charles De Menezes. Her work included reviewing disclosed documents, schedules of evidence, attending conferences with Counsel and attending a Pre-Inquest Review.
Inquest into the death of Lexy Williams (2009) North London Coroner’s Court. The jury returned a narrative which was critical of the MPS’s pursuit policy. She was junior to Heather Williams Q.C. at the inquest.
Thalia has also acted for bereaved families in Coroner’s Court proceedings in Jamaica and is an advocate for the reform of Jamaica’s Coroner’s Court proceedings.
Thalia has acted for parents in Care Proceedings and Contact Hearings.
Privy Council: Thalia often acts for appellants in criminal and constitutional law appeals to the Privy Council.
Grant v The Queen [2007] 1 AC 1. Successful appeal against murder conviction where the constitutionality of the Jamaican Evidence Act provision relying on statement of absent witness was challenged.
Tapper v The Queen [2012] 1 WLR 2712. Criminal appeal, whether a delay in proceedings was in breach of the constitutional right to due process.
Phipps v DPP and AG [2012] UKPC 24. Appeal against murder conviction.
Advisory. As a duly qualified lawyer with considerable experience at the Jamaican Bar, Thalia is often instructed by local authorities, the guardian and parents in family proceedings to provide expert opinion on Jamaican law. She has advised on matters relating to Jamaican citizenship, nationality, child rights, extradition as well as the practice and procedure in the Children’s Court and Supreme Court in Jamaica.
Thalia is a Middle Temple Advocacy Trainer.
Thalia has also written Human Rights training programmes and conducted Human Rights Training with Correctional Officers in Jamaica.
LLM (Human Rights and International Criminal Law) Kings College (London), Merit (2007)
Certificate of Legal Education, Norman Manley Law School, Jamaica (1999)
LLB, Hons. University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados (1997)
Chevening Scholarship (2006/7)
Piper and Samuda Prize for Advocacy and Debating (1999) Norman Manley Law School
Gifford Thompson Bright Prize for Human Rights (1999) Norman Manley Law School
Judge Madge Morgan Prize for Advocacy (1998) Norman Manley Law School
Criminal Bar Association
INQUEST
Jamaica Bar Association
Advocates Association (Jamaica)
Amnesty
English (native)
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS. WE APOLOGISE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE CAUSED. Michael Mansfield QC and the barristers of Mansfield Chambers invite you to a conference: The Last Barricade: Attacks on Non-Sta ...
Read MoreMichael Mansfield QC welcomes the verdict of the jury in the inquest into the Hillsborough disaster which follows two and a half years of evidence. Throughout the inquest the jury worked tirelessly, putting their own li ...
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