Criminal barrister Nicola Talbot-Hadley appointed as a Circuit Judge

5th September 2022

We are delighted to announce that the Queen has appointed 3PB’s criminal barrister Nicola Talbot-Hadley (pictured here) to be a Circuit Judge with effect from 12 September 2022.

Called to the Bar in 2007, Nicola was appointed as Chairman of Valuation Tribunal for England in 2017, as a Tribunal Judge in 2019 and as a Recorder in 2022,  Her Honour Judge Talbot-Hadley will now sit on the South-Eastern Circuit, based at Ipswich Crown Court.

Nicola Talbot-Hadley returned to the independent Bar following time working as inhouse Counsel for the Environment Agency and 3 years working as advisory lawyer for the Government Legal Department attached to the Department for Work and Pensions. Prior to that she undertook pupillage at a leading criminal set of chambers in London and the South East and Western Circuits, and spent 5 years as a criminal practitioner, working for both Prosecution and Defence in all criminal courts. Nicola has experience in all areas of crime, including as a led junior in cases involving the historic and serious sexual offences, conspiracies to supply drugs and complex fraud.

Before coming to the Bar, Nicola worked as a teacher and in political consultancy. Her experience as a teacher has given her particular empathy with young people which she is able to put to good use in the youth court as well as questioning young and vulnerable witnesses. She sits as a community volunteer on referral order panels for young people who have committed a first offence and have been referred to the youth offending service.

Read the formal confirmation of Circuit Judge Talbot-Hadley’s appointment from the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary.