Court of Protection - Vulnerable Adult; Private Children Law; Public Children Law

Chris is known primarily for acting in child protection cases involving the most serious allegations of abuse, including inflicted injuries, sexual abuse and psychological harm. He frequently appears against King’s Counsel on his own, where he is led or is leading more junior counsel. He is regularly instructed in lengthy and contentious fact-finding hearings, especially those that involve complicated medical evidence. He is equally skilled in cases that require technical legal arguments: in 2019, he successfully represented the appellant in the leading Court of Appeal case on uncertain perpetrators of abuse.

Chris is instructed in the most serious cases of child abuse. His work often involves alleged non-accidental injuries including unexplained fractures, bruising, head injuries and so-called “shaken baby” cases. Chris also acts in cases where children have suffered sexual abuse and significant psychological trauma. Recent cases of his have featured allegations of sexual abuse by a family member (including between siblings), multiple injuries to more than one subject child, and where the children’s mother was murdered by their father. He is regularly instructed where there are issues over whether a child should give evidence and is able to mount successful challenges to ABE interviews. Chris has experience of linked directions hearings in concurrent family and criminal proceedings.

Chris has completed the FLBA training on cross-examining vulnerable and child witnesses. He regularly acts for vulnerable clients, separately represented children and parties who lack litigation capacity. He is known for his empathetic and supportive approach whilst also delivering robust and realistic advice.

Equipped with a wealth of experience of acting in public law proceedings, Chris is ideally positioned to act in the most contentious cases involving expert evidence and where there are allegations of drug and alcohol abuse, mental health difficulties, and physical, emotional and sexual harm.  Recent cases in which Chris has been instructed have involved allegations of parental alienation as well as cases where there is a need for a fact-finding hearing in respect of allegations of rape and sexual abuse of children. Chris also acts in ‘leave to remove’ applications, both within and outside the jurisdiction.

Chris acts in cases relating to the health, welfare and deprivation of liberty of vulnerable adults, bringing to his Court of Protection practice his experience and skills in Children Act work. He acts in matters involving disputes over living arrangements, contact and medical treatment. Chris appears in contested interim and final hearings as well as in cases where there is a need for fact-finding.

Year of Call: 2009

French, German

Family Law Bar Association Association of Lawyers for Children Gray’s Inn

UCL (2004-8) Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris II) (2006-7) BPP (2008-9) Law with French Law (LLB), 2008 Certificat Supérieur en Droit, (Paris II) (2006-7)