Barrister Profile

Main Areas of Practice

Administrative Law or Judicial Review
Family Law
Human Rights
Personal Injury

Biography

My area of specialisation is family law and in particular international cases involving abduction concerning Hague Convention countries and non hague convention countries both for the Central Authority and for the parents, wardship, return/recovery orders, intra-UK and international relocation cases, public law cases including non accidential injury, care proceedings, freeing proceedings, adoption.

Private law proceedings regarding residence, contact and specific issue orders such as home schooling, medical treatement, change of first name and surname and disputes relating to religious upbringing. I have represented incapcitated parents and parents with severe mental health difficulties and learning difficulties with the assistance of the Official Solicitor.

I have represented the child in proceedings through the Guardian Ad Litem and the Official Solicitor.

I have represented parents living outside the jurisdiction in relation to maintenance applications and residence.

Ancillary relief and cohabitee disputes including civil partnership divorces and nullity petitions.

I have also undertaken inquest work involving death of children, judicial reviews and education appeals relating to expulsion and suspension of pupils, personal injury claims at all court levels and Defendants in criminal proceedings.

I am a qualified mediator with CORE in relation to civil and commercial disputes.

Qualifications

2003; LL.B (Common and Civil Law with French) from Queen’s University, Belfast

2004; Barrister-at-law Institute of Professional Legal Studies with distinction

2008; Member of the Southern Bar, Republic of Ireland

2012; CORE mediation accredited

Experience

I have been involved in the following reported judgments:

MG v TG [2010] NIFam 11 concerning allegations of sexual abuse of children by a parent

Re R and D (allegaion of rape) [2008] NIFam 1 concerning a Re L hearing due to allegations that children were conceived through rape

RA v DA [2012] NIFam 9 representing the Official Solicitor in Hague Convention proceedings concerning Article 13 defences

M v M; in re C, M & T (wrongful retention; return order) [2011] NICA 36 for the Central Authority regarding Hague Convention proceedings for a return order to be made

SM v PH unreported 13th December 2012 for the Official Solicitor.