Family Law: Specialist with over 20 years experience.
Areas: care – serious cases of sexual abuse, child death, physical abuse/non-accidental injury and cross-border/international issues; private law children including intractable disputes and representing children, relocation applications and child abduction; wardship and inherent jurisdiction including deprivation of liberty of children/young persons.
Particular expertise in forced and incapacitous marriages and female genital mutilation
Court of Protection: Head of No 5 COP Group.
Areas: health and welfare, deprivation of liberty, forced marriages and property and affairs – regularly instructed by Official Solicitor, Public Guardian, individuals and local authorities
Direct access registered; registered pupil supervisor; advocacy trainer for Midlands Circuit.
Guest speaker at Association of Women Judges Annual Conference, November 2018
Author of “A Practical Guide to the Law of Forced and Incapacitous Marriages” published 2019
Notable/reported cases:
B v L [2016] EWFC 67 (20 October 2016)
– Divorce proceedings in which the husband, a devout Muslim, claimed that as he was married pursuant to Sharia law, that is a religious contract, and therefore only Pakistan had the jurisdiction to hear the divorce.
Re A (Adoption: Placement outside Jurisdiction) 2004 EWCA Civ 515, 2004 2 FLR 447
– the unlawful placement of children abroad for adoption
James-v-Thomas EWCA Civ 1212, 2008 1 FLR 1598 (appearing at first instance)
– a TLATA property dispute between an unmarried couple
Re XCC –v- AA, BB, CC, DD [2012] EWHC 2183 (COP), [2013] 2 FCR 401 (appearing at the fact-finding hearing)
– forced marriage protection orders and the capacity of a learning disabled adult to consent to marriage