Court of Protection - Vulnerable Adult; Direct Access; Inquests and Inquiries; International Children Law; Private Children Law; Public Children Law

Mani is an award winning barrister described as a ‘positive force in family law’. He is the winner of the Legal Personality of the Year 2024 award (LexisNexis) and the Family Law Junior Barrister of the Year 2023 award at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards. He is works nearly exclusively in the High Court and Court of Appeal. Mani has a broad practice covering all areas of family law with a particular focus on disputes relating to children. He has been involved in a significant number of authorities which appear at the bottom of this profile.

Published cases:

Mani has appeared in a number of published cases such as:

Court of Appeal Cases:

C v M (A Child) (Abduction: Representation of Child Party) [2023] EWCA Civ 1449 Re T (Abduction: Protective Measures: Agreement to return) [2023] EWCA Civ 1415   Allami v Fakher (Court of Appeal) [2023] EWCA 532  Re H (A Child) (Recusal) [2023] 4 WLR 64

High Court Cases:

Samira Addou v Sidali Bennabi [2024] EWHC 2703 (Committal: Sentencing) Samira Addou v Sidali Bennabi [2024] EWHC 2702 (Committal) SD v MM [2024] EWHC 2593 (Fam) Omay Ali Elhag Elkndo v Elnoaman Gassam Elsyed (Committal: Sentence) [2024] EWHC 2230 (Fam) Re A and R (1980 Hague Convention: Return to Australia) [2024] EWHC 2190 Omay Ali Elhag Elkndo v Elnoaman Gassam Elsyed & Ors (Committal: Findings) [2024] EWHC 2204 MAS v ZK & Ors [2024] EWHC 1939 (Fam) A v M & Ors [2024] EWHC 2020 E v The Child and Family Agency of Ireland & Ors [2024] EWHC 1778 Re D (Wardship: Jurisdiction: Cutting Across Statutory Schemes), Re [2024] EWHC 1658 Re G and H (Children: Return to Ghana) [2024] EWHC 1453 Fakher v Allami [2024] EWHC 841 Re N (A Child) (Ukraine: Art. 13 (b)) (No. 2) [2024] EWHC 1282 Re N (A Child) (Ukraine: Art. 13 (b)) [2024] EWHC 871 R v M (Hague Convention; Withdrawal of Application and Art. 16 (Parental Responsibility)) [2024] EWHC 720 GM & Anor v EB & Anor (Rules of Evidence) [2024] EWHC 288 MB v KB & Ors (Costs) [2023] EWHC 3299 MB v KB & Ors [2023] EWHC 3177 EC v BM [2023] EWHC 3237 H v Usama Ikram Butt & Anor [2023] EWHC 3042 K v E [2023] EWHC 2890 (Fam) Re Z  (A Child) (1980 Hague Convention) [2023] EWHC 2696  Re A (Minors) [2023] EWHC 3537 Sater v Sater [2023] EWHC 3509 Re A (Article 13b, Ukraine) [2023] EWHC 3524 NM v SM [2023] EWHC 2209  Re B (A Child) (Consent; Acquiescence, Intolerability) [2023] EWHC 2162 Re K & S (Article 13 (b)) [2023] EWHC 1883  C v M & Anor (No 1 Hague Abduction: Application for Re-hearing)  Re Y (A Child) (Abduction: Romania Article 13(b) [2023] EWHC 1676  Z v Z [2023] EWHC 1673 Addou v Bennabi [2023] EWHC 2469  C v M & Anor [2023] EWHC 1182  R v P [2023] EWHC 914  Allami v Fakher [2023] EWFC 59  Re DQ (A Child) (Abduction: Defence of Consent) [2023] EWHC 891  Re Child E [2023] EWHC 584  Re T (A Child: Application to Permanently Relocate) [2023] EWHC 545  FB v MG [2023] 1 FLR 1151  T v V & Anor [2022] EWHC 2692 Addou v Bennabi (committal) [2022] EWHC 3465  Re N (Abduction) [2022] EWHC 3146  J v R [2022] EWFC 104 GTJ v LS [2022] EWHC 3688  ADK v ASI [2022] EWHC 2610  YP v HP [2022] EWHC 1954  F and S (Special Guardianship Order with Supervision Order) [2021] EWFC B19  London Borough of Southwark v A Family [2020] EWHC 3117  A City Council v A Mother & Ors (Care Proceedings Radicalisation) [2019] EWHC 3076, [2020] 1 FLR 515  International Children Law

Mani is a specialist in cases that have an international element relating to child abduction and was recognised as the Legal Aid Barrister of the Year 2024 winner for his work in this area of the field. Mani deals with cases concerning applications for summary return under the Hague Convention 1980, the recognition and enforcement of foreign orders relating to the Hague Convention 1996, applications concerning wardship / the inherent jurisdiction and forced marriage. Mani is known for his experience in ‘stranded spouse’ cases and is the author of ‘A Practical Guide to Stranded Spouses in Family Law’ which is available for purchase here. He also co-authored an article in The Times about this topic. Further, Mani has published a book in respect of ‘A Practical Guide to Exercising the Inherent Jurisdiction’ which can be purchased here. Mani is also regularly instructed by intervenors and other interested bodies in cases concerning international disputes and the rights of children.

Further, Mani is regularly instructed in cases where there are jurisdictional issues, applications for relocation and cases concerning surrogacy.

Mani regularly writes on the topic of international child abduction and has featured in the International Family Law Journal, the Family Law Journal and New Law Journal. He is known for representing vulnerable clients across the world in international disputes relating to domestic abuse, stranding spouses and child abduction and in 2024 won the Legal Aid Barrister of the Year award.

Private Children Law

Mani acts in all areas of private law disputes concerning children that involve applications for child arrangement orders and enforcement proceedings. He is frequently instructed in cases concerning contentious residence and contact disputes where the issues involve allegations of domestic abuse, psychological harm, parental alienation and he also appears in cases involving domestic and international relocation. Mani is known for his experience in private law cases where there are reported safeguarding issues and local authority input and he has produced a number of articles on this area which have been published by the Family Law Journal (LexisNexis). He has appeared in extensive fact-finding hearings in private law disputes and works across the whole of England.

Mani has extensive experience relating to applications under the Family Law Act 1996 for non-molestation and occupation orders.

Public Children Law

Mani regularly represents local authorities, parents and guardians in public law proceedings. He has appeared in contested cases relating to a case of the utmost gravity such as those concerning allegations of NAI, FFI and radicalisation. He is particularly sought after in public law disputes heard in the High Court and where international disputes arise such as those relating to abduction, forced marriage and FGM.

Publications

Mani is a well-established commentator in the field of Family Law. He regularly appears in leading newspapers and legal platforms and has been published in the Guardian, The Times, Law Society Gazette, International Family Law Journal, Family Law Journal, Counsel Magazine, The Solicitors Journal, Social Work News, Family Law Week.  He is also an author of the following books:

A Practical Guide to the Participation of Children in Family Law; A Practical Guide to Exercising the Inherent Jurisdiction in Family Law Proceedings; and A Practical Guide to Stranded Spouses in Family Law. Personal Information

Mani has assisted with the expert witness training of paediatricians at the Royal College of Paediatrics and regularly delivers training and seminars to legal professionals. He is on the scholarship and diversity panel for the FLBA and is also an accredited pupil supervisor. Mani is also the current Deputy Editor at Family Law Week.

Mani is in demand for speaking at a number of high-profile events and recently he spoke at:

White Paper Conference on the issue of fact-findings in private law disputes, alongside Barbara Mills KC; JUSTICE Human Rights Conference alongside Teertha Gupta KC; LexisNexis 2022 Family Law Round Up, speaking on developments in international family law. LexisNexis 2023 Private Law Round Up ALC Conference on representing and securing the return of children from non-hague countries, alongside Tipstaff. LexisNexis 2024 – Transparency in Family Law alongside Teertha Gupta KC.

Year of Call: 2014 Ethics Committee of the Bar Council of England and Wales [2024 – present] Managing Editor of Family Law Week [2024 – present] Family Law Reviewer for Advocate [2024 – present] Advocacy Trainer for Sikhs in Law [2024 – present]Child Abduction Lawyers Association Committee Member [2022 – present]Elected Member on the Family Law Bar Association Committee [2019 – 2022]

Conversational Punjabi and Hindi

The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn Family Law Bar Association Child Abduction Lawyers Association

Law LLB: First Class Honours Joint LLM (Employment Law and Sports Law): First Class Distinction BPTC: Very Competent