Lizzie Banahan

Barrister | Called 2022

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Practice Summary

Lizzie has established a busy and varied practice, instructed to defend and prosecute cases throughout the Midlands Circuit.

Having established a reputation for providing timely, clear, and pragmatic advice to both lay and professional clients, Lizzie attracts instructions well beyond her call in matters requiring attention to detail and through preparation, ranging through serious violence, sexual offending drug conspiracies, to public disorder.

Lizzie is a currently a Grade 1 prosecutor, and is also a member of our civil team dealing with claims arising out of road traffic collisions.

 

Education

    • LLB Honours – Nottingham Trent University
    • LLM (Distinction) – Nottingham Trent University
    • BPC – Nottingham Trent University

    Lizzie’s expertise

    Criminal Law - Background

    Prior to joining Chambers, Lizzie was a Prison Lawyer for a firm based in the East Midlands where she represented clients with acute needs at disciplinary hearings before District Judges and judicially chaired Parole Board hearings. She was also a Paralegal in a firm of Solicitors undertaking Family Law matters.

    Notable Cases

    Sexual offences

    R v H (2025): Defended a sentence for making indecent images of children and possessing an extreme pornographic image, successfully persuaded the Court to pass a suspended sentence.

    Dishonesty offences

    R V H (2025): Defended a sentence for robbery and possession of a bladed article committed during the operational period of a conditional discharge. The defendant had a record of convictions for similar offences. Successfully argued that the defendant should be given a suspended sentence order and they avoided custody.

    Drug offences

    R V B (2025): Prosecuted a sentence in relation to the supply of 40g of cocaine.

    R V C (2025): Secured a suspended sentence in a supply of class A and B drugs case.

    Violent offences

    R V B (2025): Successfully prosecuted an application to extend a restraining order.

    R V G (2025): Instructed to defend a three-count Indictment containing allegations of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, strangulation and assault by beating. Secured acquittals on all counts except for assault occasioning actual bodily harm. At sentence, successfully argued for the imposition of a suspended sentence order.

    R V R (2026): Successfully defended a trial for possession of an offensive weapon.

    Appeals against sentence

    R V M (2024): Successfully appealed a driving disqualification imposed by the Magistrate’s Court. The Court accepted that exceptional hardship was present.