Hanna Llewellyn-Waters KC
BA(Hons) (Oxon)
Astbury Scholarship (Middle Temple)
Harmsworth Scholarship (Middle Temple)
Benefactors’ Scholarship (Middle Temple)
Instructing Hanna Llewellyn-Waters KC
To instruct Hanna or for any further information please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7440 8888 or clerks@2br.co.uk.
Hanna Llewellyn-Waters KC has a highly successful practice prosecuting and defending the most serious criminal cases. She has particular expertise in complex sexual offences, homicide and allegations concerning offences against children.
Hanna acts for private clients, including high-net-worth individuals and professionals, in a range of sensitive matters. She often represents young people either charged with sexual offences or under police investigation for the same. She is well versed in managing the reputational issues that arise in such cases and is frequently instructed to provide pre-charge advice and representation with a view to stopping proceedings.
Crime
Hanna’s practice encompasses allegations of murder, fraud, large-scale OCG drug conspiracies, firearms and human trafficking. Her cases frequently involve extraterritorial jurisdictional elements, complex expert evidence, vast disclosure and public interest immunity issues.
Serious Sexual Offences
Hanna has extensive experience of sensitive, high-profile cases alleging serious sexual offences including rape, often multi-generational or institution based and involving critically vulnerable witnesses/defendants.
Abuse of Process
Hanna is a recognised authority on abuse of process, including delay. She was trial counsel for the Crown in what is understood to be the longest delay in the bringing of criminal proceedings (62 years), on an indictment concerning offences predating the Sexual Offences Act 1956: R v RD [2013] EWCA Crim 1592. She is a named contributor to Abuse of Process (Colin Wells, 4th edition, 2023 with the 5th edition in progress), specifically the chapters on Disclosure and Delay.
Consultations, Reviews and Lectures
Hanna represents the United Kingdom as an Advisory Committee member of the European Law Institute’s project on Proof of Consent and its Knowledge in the Law of Sexual Offences. Her pre-eminent expertise has been further recognised in her consultation by the Law Commission for its review of Evidence in Sexual Offences Prosecutions (consultation paper published May 2023). She was specifically asked to provide advice on expert evidence within sexual offences prosecutions; proposed improvements to legal directions; addressing misassumptions within sexual offences and guidance on best practice for trial advocacy in such proceedings. She was consulted by the Rt Hon Dame Elish Angiolini DBE KC for her Independent Review into the Investigation and Prosecution of Rape in London. She was a panellist on the Home Office hosted EIDA project addressing the challenges on investigating and prosecuting allegations of controlling and coercive behaviour [2025]. At the invitation of the FCO, the CPS and CEOP (NCA), she has lectured law enforcement officers, lawyers and doctors from across the British Overseas Territories on the investigation and prosecution of offences involving children and sexual offences. She regularly advises on the conduct of more complex cases involving allegations of sexual offending in Jersey.
Education and Scholarships
Hanna read English Literature & Language at Oxford University, where she was a scholar, and came to the Bar after a short career in journalism. During her legal studies and pupillage she was awarded the Astbury Scholarship, the Harmsworth Scholarship and the Benefactors’ Scholarship by Middle Temple.
Practice Areas
The Crown Prosecution Service has approved her to prosecute the most serious alleged offences [Grade 4].
Notable crime cases
R v D
Led defence counsel in trial for client charged with murder and conspiracy to murder. Alleged gang rivalry resulted in 2 drive-by shootings. Cell site, CCTV, ballistics, forensics, drill, “gang association” and extensive bad character considered/ argued.
R v T
Defence counsel. OCG- indicted with conspiracy to supply 90 kilos of Class A. Only counsel of 14 to challenge scope of conspiracy, resulting in exclusion of 80 kilos and reducing sentence by years. Successfully opposed addition of further drugs count.
R v G
Defence counsel. Client charged with possession of firearm & ammunition with intent to endanger life, possession of class A drugs with intent to supply. Extensive disclosure requests and successful arguments leading to exclusion of evidence resulted in the prosecution accepting a single plea to possession of a firearm. The defendant received a greatly reduced sentence and was immediately released from custody.
R v K & K
Counsel for the Crown: extensive human trafficking for the purposes of prostitution by a European- wide organised crime network. 14 day Newton hearing resulted in a finding that coercion was used and that large sums of money were transferred worldwide for the purposes of money laundering. The case including complex confiscation proceedings.
R v D
Led junior for the Crown. Case concerned the murder of a 14 year old boy following on-line grooming. Issues involved complicated sentencing process, including calling experts to help determine whether the murder involved sexual or sadistic motivation.
R v C & D
Longest CCRC investigation undertaken. Led junior at the Court of Appeal and at the subsequent re-trial. Complex issues of disclosure: nearly 50 000 pages. Supergrass case. 6 week abuse of process application. Subsequently, the Crown offered no evidence.
Hanna is regularly instructed to represent defendants charged with serious allegations of fraud and money laundering.
Notable fraud & financial crime cases
R v F
Leading defence counsel in an 18 handed multi-million £ fraud with an international dimension.
R v T
Defence counsel in a multi-handed case involving money laundering and fraud in respect of illegal immigrants.
R v M
Defence counsel in a multi-handed case involving a high value advance fee fraud.
R v L
Defence counsel in a multi-handed case involving breach of restraint order, money laundering and fraud.
R v L
Defence counsel for a man charged with multiple fraud allegations regarding obtaining finance for high value motor vehicles.
She is instructed on behalf of UKCP as presenting officer, including in a matter alleging grave sexual impropriety with an extremely vulnerable complainant.
Hanna is on the CPS Panel of Approved Rape Advocates and the Attorney General’s list of Prosecution Advocates.
She has advised working groups on the treatment of complainants in cases alleging serious sexual offences.
Notable serious sexual offences cases
R v M
Defended a childminder’s husband for sexually abusing a young child. Also charged with allegations of rape of two other children. Successfully argued severance. Issues with client included lack of memory due to a stroke. Cross-examined child witness via s28. Acquitted.
R v X
Defended a health care professional working within a busy NHS hospital. Alleged to have sexually assaulted a patient including with a probe during a wrist examination. Cross-examined vulnerable complainant having successfully sought disclosure of her extensive medical records. Drafted proposed directions for jury on delay. Acquitted.
R v K
Defended a high-net-worth individual charged with sexually assaulting an unknown female. Offence clearly captured on camera and witnessed by multiple independent eyewitnesses. Sentencing guidelines provided custody as the appropriate sentence. Pleaded guilty. Sentenced to a fine. Therefore, not subject to notification requirements.
R v H & H
Leading prosecution trial counsel. 2 juniors. 39 count indictment. Husband and wife prosecuted for decades of child cruelty, rape and serious sexual offences against 5 particularly vulnerable complainants. Novel special measures used. Vast 3rd party material. Severance, s41 and bad character argued. Convicted.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpr44d09rz1o
R v S
Leading prosecution trial counsel. 5 year campaign of grooming and rape of 3 children by foster carer. Issues included vitiated consent. Convicted.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/paedophile-rapist-jailed-for-25-years-268885/
R v E
Leading prosecution trial counsel. Over a decade of rape, sadism and cruelty against 2 complainants. One complainant: selective mutism. Extensive disclosure. Bad character and admissibility of evidence argued. Convicted.
https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/essex-crime-dangerous-basildon-paedophile-4818782
R v S
Prosecution trial counsel. Extra-territorial offending. Teacher convicted of grooming and abusing boys in a school based in UAE. Complex legal argument including calling acquittal evidence from a prosecution 18 years before. Extensive bad character admitted. Computer and cultural expert evidence. Court of Appeal upheld conviction.
https://www.casemine.com/judgement/uk/64615ae096286752ef03921c
R v C
Prosecution of one of largest CEOP investigations by NCA. Defendant pleaded guilty to 65 counts. Allegations of hacking, blackmail, degradation, extreme online sexual abuse. “Enslavement” of 26 complainants- 5000 targeted internationally. Highly sophisticated software used. Limited aid from caselaw or guidelines due to magnitude of offending.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-63589178
R v X
Prosecution of retired GP. Historic sexual offending including against a 2 year old child. 47 year delay. Abuse of process: breach of promise/ delay. Contested fitness to stand trial. Extreme impact. Pleaded guilty first day of trial.
R v RD
Trial counsel for the Crown in the case believed to be the oldest criminal case in English Law: 62 year delay. Advised pre-extradition in respect of multiple allegations of rape concerning four complainants spanning 1949-1973. The case attracted international media attention. Extensive and complex submissions: abuse of process. Conviction upheld by the Court of Appeal.
R v C
Trial counsel in case alleging false imprisonment, section 18 GBH and rape. Multiple medical experts called; dangerousness provisions applied.
R v S
Leading trial counsel for the Crown. Multiple counts of rape and serious sexual offences by a high-profile local businessman in respect of four complainants. The case involved complex disclosure issues. The sentencing judge described the offences as ‘the worst’ he had dealt with.
R v B & S
Led junior for the first trial. Leading junior for the retrial. Multiple rapes against four highly vulnerable child complainants.
R v M
Defended a man charged with 33 counts of rape and further serious sexual offences against a 10-year-old girl. Thereafter appeared as junior alone against the Solicitor-General (unduly lenient sentence).
R v K & P
Leading counsel for the Crown. Multiple counts of rape and false imprisonment by two defendants aided by a third party against two complainants. The offences involved extreme degradation; joinder and severance arguments. Both defendants were given indeterminate sentences.
R v F
Trial counsel in a case concerning years of alleged serious sexual offending against two boys. Entrenched grooming and severe abuse of trust.
