Susanne Tanner KC
UK Bar Guide 2025
Band 1 : Public & Fatal Accident Inquiries
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
07739639214Share profile
Band 1
About
Provided by Susanne Tanner KC
Practice Areas
Dual qualified, Scotland and England & Wales. Susanne took Silk in 2016, having called in 2000. She specialises in independent investigations, reviews, inquiries, public law and arbitration.
She has developed considerable expertise across civil and criminal practice and held a public appointment from the Lord Advocate as Assistant Principal Crown Counsel, one of the country's senior prosecutors (2021-24). She is ranked as a leading Silk in public inquiries & fatal accident inquiries, independent investigations and administrative & public law.
Chairing the Sexual Offences Review, considering how the Crown in Scotland deals with sexual offences (2021-).
Chaired the high profile independent ‘Sean Bell inquiry’ into allegations of sexual abuse by a senior local authority employee (2020-21) and an independent review of a local authority's whistleblowing and organisational culture (2020-21), in which her recommendations led to wholesale changes being implemented by local government.
Senior counsel for core participants in Scottish Covid Inquiry (2024-) and Scottish Hospitals Inquiry (2022-).
Fee paid tribunal judge and regulatory chair in housing, education and social services cases.
Regularly appointed as arbitrator in domestic and international arbitrations.
Academic, University of Edinburgh.
Career
• University of Edinburgh, LLB (First Class Honours), 1996.
• Called to the Bar (Scotland), 2000.
• Took Silk (Scotland), 2016.
• Head of Chambers, Ampersand Advocates, 2019-2021.
• FCIArb, 2019.
• Called to the Bar (E&W), 2019.
• Assistant Principal Crown Counsel, Scotland, 2021-24.
Professional Memberships
• FCIArb,
• Female Fraud Forum
Publications
• 'Sean Bell' Inquiry Report 2021,
• Whistleblowing Review Report 2021,
• Editor, Scottish Education Manual.
Chambers Review
UK Bar
Susanne Tanner KC has an impressive inquiries practice. She has appeared on several of the highest-profile mandates in recent years, including the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry. In addition to her counsel work, Tanner accepts appointments as independent chair and review lead. She has deep expertise in matters concerning whistle-blowers. She is dual-qualified as a barrister in England and Wales.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Susanne Tanner KC is a leading light in public law and inquiries. She has a real clarity of style in her written and oral advocacy and an ability to digest huge amounts of information very quickly."
"Susanne Tanner KC is a leading light in public law and inquiries. She has a real clarity of style in her written and oral advocacy and an ability to digest huge amounts of information very quickly."
"Susanne Tanner KC is a leading light in public law and inquiries. She has a real clarity of style in her written and oral advocacy and an ability to digest huge amounts of information very quickly."
"Susanne Tanner KC is a leading light in public law and inquiries. She has a real clarity of style in her written and oral advocacy and an ability to digest huge amounts of information very quickly."