SILK PROFILE
Sarah Hannett KC

Sarah Hannett KC

UK Bar 2026

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Matrix Chambers
 Matrix Chambers

Ranked in 6 practice areas

Education

London (Bar)

16 years ranked

Community Care

London (Bar)

12 years ranked

Election Law

London (Bar)

5 years ranked

Civil Liberties & Human Rights

London (Bar)

9 years ranked

Administrative & Public Law

London (Bar)

12 years ranked

Independent Investigations

All Circuits

3 years ranked

About

Provided by Matrix Chambers

Practice Areas

Practises in all aspects of public law. Recent cases include For Women Scotland, the challenge to VAT on private school fees (ALR), the challenge to protest regulations (National Council for Civil Liberties), the challenge to a prohibition on prayer rituals in school (TTT), the ongoing ECtHR litigation concerning the revocation of same-sex marriage in Bermuda (Ferguson), litigation on non-binary identity (Elan-Cane), and the lawfulness of criminal acts committed by MI5 agents (Privacy International). Particular areas of expertise include human rights, equality law, education, national security, election and regulatory law.

Career

Member of the A-Panel of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Panel of Preferred Counsel. Prior to taking silk, member of the Attorney General’s A panel of counsel. Previously: Fellow at the Center for Constutional Rights in New York (Pegasus Scholar); lecturer in law at King’s College, London; visiting professor at McGill University.

Publications

Recent publications include (as co-author) Blackstone’s Guide to the Human Rights Act 1998 (2024), Special Educational Needs and the Law (2017), and (as a contributing author) National Security Law, Procedure and Practice (2024), Information Rights (2024).

Personal

LLB (University of Nottingham); LLM in Human Rights and Comparative Law (McGill University, Canda); Commonwealth Scholar.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

UK Bar

Education - London (Bar)

Band 1
Individual Editorial

Sarah Hannett KC is a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's A-Panel of Counsel and specialises in education cases with equality aspects. She is adept at handling safeguarding and discrimination matters for education institutions, regulatory bodies and local government. She has co-authored two leading law handbooks: one on special educational needs, the other a guide to the Human Rights Act 1998.

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Community Care - London (Bar)

Band 1
Individual Editorial

Sarah Hannett KC has a broad community care practice and is particularly active in cases relating to local authority policy disputes. She is frequently instructed by local authorities and central government.

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Election Law - London (Bar)

Band 2
Individual Editorial

Sarah Hannett KC is a highly regarded public law, education, and human rights silk, with a particular specialism for equality law matters. She has acted in many elections cases and co-authored two leading law handbooks - one on special educational needs, the other: a guide to the Human Rights Act 1998.

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Civil Liberties & Human Rights - London (Bar)

Band 3
Individual Editorial

Sarah Hannett KC is a leading public law barrister who has expertise in civil liberties and human rights cases, with a focus on equality, routinely acting for government defendants and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. She draws on her significant experience in education, local government and community care matters.

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Administrative & Public Law - London (Bar)

Band 3
Individual Editorial

Sarah Hannett KC is most often instructed on behalf of central government departments. She is particularly proficient at public law claims which involve human rights law and is an excellent choice for matters concerning data-related issues. Recently, she has appeared in several high-profile public law disputes involving equality law and healthcare.

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Independent Investigations - All Circuits

Band 3
Individual Editorial

Sarah Hannett KC is noted for her considerable experience advising on and conducting independent investigations. She draws upon her expertise in public and human rights law to act for clients in both the public and private sectors, with a focus on higher education institutions.

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Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Sarah is incredibly clear and hard-working, and she gets good results.

    EducationUK Bar

  • I can't speak more highly of her. She is a fantastic operator. She really knows her stuff, and her advice is very polished. She is a fantastic advocate.

    EducationUK Bar

  • She is a go-to counsel of mine; she is very approachable and good with clients.

    Community CareUK Bar

  • In the equality and human rights law world, Sarah is a specialist and the first person you would think of.

    Civil Liberties & Human RightsUK Bar

  • Sarah has a really clear and defined strategy from the start of the process.

    Civil Liberties & Human RightsUK Bar

  • Sarah Hannett is my first choice for civil liberties work.

    Civil Liberties & Human RightsUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at Matrix Chambers (243)

All Circuits

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