Siân was instructed by the Ministry of Defence as junior counsel for the Witness Legal Team in the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan (2025). Further information about the Inquiry can be found here.
Siân completed a 12-month secondment to the CPS Extradition Unit, appearing regularly at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and advising on a substantial caseload of Part 1 extradition matters.
Experience & Expertise
Siân is a specialist practitioner in extradition and professional discipline. After a period practicing exclusively in criminal law, she has since focussed on professional misconduct, extradition and public law, and is developing her practice in inquests, inquiries and police law.
Siân’s criminal background gives her particular strength in cross-examination, witness handling and jury advocacy.
Siân spent 12 months on secondment to the CPS Extradition Unit where she appeared regularly before Westminster Magistrates’ Court representing a variety of Judicial Authorities in extradition hearings and acting as a reviewing lawyer for a substantial caseload of Part 1 cases.
Since returning from secondment, Siân has obtained Grade 2 on the CPS specialist Extradition panel and is regularly instructed to appear at both the Magistrates’ Court and the High Court in extradition matters.
Siân represents registrants before a variety of regulators, principally within healthcare, in fitness to practise hearings and has experience of representing prisoners before the Parole Board, including the Claimant in a successful judicial review of the Parole Board of England and Wales.
Healthcare and Professional Discipline
Siân has significant experience acting in matters before professional regulatory bodies and tribunals and accepts instructions on behalf of both registrants and the regulator. She advises in relation to the admissibility of evidence, disclosure and case strategy in advance of hearings and regularly appears in substantive fitness to practise and interim order hearings.
Siân has represented clients in respect of a range of allegations including assault, dishonesty, lack of competence and cases where there have also been criminal investigations into the conduct alleged. Siân has a proven track record of achieving successful outcomes for clients including charges not proven (including in dishonesty cases) and findings of no impairment.
Siân’s background in criminal practice makes her particularly well suited to cases involving conduct that might otherwise be considered a criminal offence or for which criminal proceedings have occurred prior to the regulatory case.
Cases & work of note
NMC v W
Substantive order review in which Siân represented the registrant who had been suspended in the interests of her own health. Through presenting medical evidence to show her client’s recovery, Siân persuaded the panel to allow the order to lapse upon completion and the nurse return to unrestricted practice.
NMC v K
Siân represented a nurse who accepted charges of having failed to act upon suspected sepsis and who had performed an unnecessary bladder wash out on a patient. Upon careful presentation of extensive training and reflective work, Siân achieved a finding of no impairment for her client.
NMC v H and another
In a substantive fitness to practise hearing, Siân secured a finding of no facts proven for her client in respect of allegations of the dishonest completion of medication records.
NMC v W and others
Siân represented a nurse (W) in a three-week fitness to practise hearing involving multiple registrants charged with restraining a terminally ill patient. The charge was found not proven.
NMC v Q and another
Siân represented a nurse who was accused of assaulting a detained psychiatric patient after he accused him of sleeping during 1:1 observations. The case involved a number of legal arguments over several days regarding the admissibility of the NMC’s evidence and resulted in the NMC offering no evidence against the registrants.
Extradition
Siân undertakes all aspects of extradition work and accepts instructions on behalf of Judicial Authorities and Requested Persons alike. She has significant experience of extradition matters including cases involving expert evidence, country-wide thematic issues and complex points of law.
Cases & Work of Note
Lukasik v Circuit Court, Praga in Warsaw (a Polish Judicial Authority) [2025] EWHC 282 (Admin)
Successfully resisted an Article 8 appeal where the issue related to the impact of extradition on the Appellant’s 16 year old son who was a suicide risk and for whom no other person had Parental Responsibility in the UK.
Poland v P
Represented the Judicial Authority and secured an order for extradition in a multi-issue case involving the cross-examination of multiple medical experts.
USA v G
Acted for the Judicial Authority in complex bail appeal proceedings including a contested costs argument.
Poland v D
Represented the Judicial Authority and secured an order for extradition in a case involving issues of specialty arrangements in Poland and expert evidence.
Romania v F
Represented the Judicial Authority and secured an order for extradition in a case which involved the consideration of early release provisions, on the same date the Supreme Court decision ruling on this issue was handed down.
Hungary v G
Currently instructed on behalf of the Judicial Authority in a case involving expert evidence on prison conditions and the risk of an Article 3 breach.
Public Inquiries
Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan (2025) – Siân spent six months working on the Afghanistan Inquiry, instructed by the Ministry of Defence as Counsel for the Witness Legal Team.
Crime and Parole
Siân has significant experience in all aspects of criminal and crime-adjacent work including court martial and parole. She has attained Grade 2 on the CPS General Crime panel and has experience defending offences across the entire spectrum of criminal law.
Cases & Work of Note
R v K (Southampton Crown Court)
Secured acquittal for a client of good character charged with s.20 GBH.
R v L (Bulford Court Martial)
Secured acquittal for a client charged with sexual assault.
R v P (Salisbury Crown Court)
Secured conviction in a dangerous dogs case which attracted national media attention.
R (on the application of Samuel) v Parole Board for England and Wales [2020] EWHC 42 (Admin)
Acting for the Claimant in a successful judicial review of the Parole Board’s decision not to release to open conditions after failing to consider the correct legal test.
Reflections
“Challenges are what makes life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful” (Joshua J. Marine)
Any area of law presents both lawyer and client with significant challenges. Our clients come to us, by definition, when they need help overcoming a difficult problem or navigating a stressful situation in their life. For me, the meaningful part of a career in law is being able to help people through those obstacles and to always remember that, to every client, this is the most important thing happening in their lives.
Qualifications
- University of Nottingham, History and Politics BA (First Class)
- University of Sussex, GDL (Distinction)
- BPP, BPTC (Outstanding)
Professional Associations
- The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
- Extradition Lawyers’ Association (ELA)
- Defence Extradition Lawyers’ Association (DELF)
- Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL)
- London Irish Lawyers’ Association (LILA)
- Criminal Bar Association
Professional Activities and Scholarships
- Inner Temple Exhibition Award for GDL
- University of Sussex Draper Scholarship for GDL
- Winner of University of Sussex Criminal Advocacy Competition (December 2015)
- Inner Temple Elfreda Edwards Scholarship for BPTC
- BPP 4×4 Advocacy Scholarship
- Pegasus Scholar to New Delhi (2024)
- Inner Temple Accredited Pupil Advocacy Trainer