Harcourt Chambers

Edward Bennett was the 2015 Young Family Law Barrister of the Year and is instructed in the Family Court, High Court, Court of Appeal and Court of Justice of the European Union.

He specialises in family and Court of Protection law. He has extensive experience in disputes with an international dimension and edits the International Family Law Journal.

To date, he has appeared in the following family cases: International Child Abduction (Hague Conventions and Inherent Jurisdiction), Leaves to permanently and temporarily remove from the jurisdiction, Forced marriage, Surrogacy, International Adoption, International Child Maintenance Forum disputes, Public and Private Law Children, and Part III Children Act 1989 Judicial Reviews. He has been admitted as an advocate in the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia having been instructed in the first application to leave to remove from that jurisdiction in its history.

In the Court of Protection, he is instructed across both welfare and finance cases.

Recent reported cases include: Re D (Children) (Child Abduction: Practice) [2016] EWHC 504 (Fam), Re C & D (Children) (Parental Order) [2015] EWHC 2080 (Fam); [2015] All ER (D) 121 (Aug), A & B (No 1 -Fact finding judgment) [2015] EWHC 1059 (Fam), D (A Child: deprivation of liberty) [2015] COPLR 209, AA v TT (recognition and enforcement) [2015] 2 FLR 1, and Re R (A Child) [2014] EWHC 2802 (Fam).

In addition to his legal practice, Edward works as a Research Assistant at H.M. College of Arms.

2009-11: Trainee Solicitor, Allen & Overy LLP (London and Prague Offices)

2013: Called to the bar (England & Wales)

2016: Called to the bar (Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia)

Recent publications:

April 2016: With C.M.Pedreno and C.Korah, ‘Strike out or summary dismissal in 1980 Hague Proceedings: the guidance in Re D (Children) (Child Abduction: Practice)[2016] EWHC 504 (Fam)’ April [2016] Fam Law

May 2015: ‘Marriage, Civil Partnerships and Safeguarding the vulnerable adult’, Local Government Lawyer.

July 2013: ‘Not only encouraged but essential’: judicial collaboration in international family disputes July [2013] Fam Law 845 -851. Expressly approved and endorsed by Cobb J in N v K (No.2) [2014] EWHC 507 (Fam).

Jan 2013: ‘Resolving family disputes in a globalised world: the role of judicial diplomacy’ (Dec 12/Jan 13 issue Diplomat Magazine pp 32-33.

Child Abduction Lawyers Association

Court of Protection Practitioners Association

2008: GDL (College of Law, Bloomsbury)

2007: BA (Hons) History (University College London)