Justice Andrew Hatton was a barrister in England & Wales from 1987 to 2011, with a significant criminal practice, both prosecuting and defending. In addition, he held part-time judicial roles from 2004 to 2012.
He was awarded an LLB in 1986 and an LLM by dissertation in 2015.
From October 2011 to October 2012 he served as a full-time International Criminal Judge in the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), having been seconded by the UK Foreign Office. He tried cases involving war crimes, murder, political corruption and organised crime.
In October 2012 he was appointed a Circuit Judge to try criminal cases, principally in Liverpool.
In July 2016 he was seconded for four years as one of two joint Deans of the Judicial College, the organisation responsible for the induction and continuation training of all judges in England & Wales.
In July 2020 he returned to sitting as a Circuit Judge, sitting in Bradford and Leeds, principally trying cases involving murder and serious sexual offences.
He continues to act as a trainer and tutor in criminal law and in “judgecraft” for the Judicial College and he undertakes some ad hoc judicial training internationally, including for the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN). He is the author or editor of a number of publications for the Judicial College.
He was appointed a Judge of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone in 2013.