Public and Private Child Law

Siobhan regularly acts for parents in care proceedings and often for young mothers. She has a particular interest in guardian work.

Siobhan is instructed on complex matters including those involving the death of children, extensive medical evidence, allegations of non-accidental injury and extreme sexual abuse. She has particular knowledge of factitious illness by proxy.

A Local Authority v J [2008] EWHC 1484 (Fam) [2008] 2 FLR 1389

Adoption - Contact - Post-adoption contact with mother or half-siblings - Whether to be ordered

Care - Welfare - Parenting assessment - Whether failure of emotional care and failure to co-operate justified adoption - Whether post-adoption contact with family members to be ordered

Westminster City Council -v- RA, B and S  [2005] EWHC 970 (Fam)  [2005] 2 FLR 1309

Care proceedings - Powers and duties of local authority - Duty to convene multi-disciplinary conference prior to initiation of proceedings

Re S (A Child) (Identification: Restriction on Publication) [2004] Fam 43, CA
Child protection - Publication - Freedom of expression - Right to respect for private and family life - Balancing exercise between human rights of child and press - Child not directly involved in proceedings - Whether court having jurisdiction to prohibit identification of defendant mother in criminal trial to protect privacy of her child - Whether judge adopting correct approach - Children and Young Persons Act 1933, s39 - Human Rights Act 1998, Pt 1, Sch 1, Arts 8 and 10)

Re M (Intractable Contact Dispute: Interim Care Order) [2003] 2 FLR 636, FD
Contact - Intractable dispute - Children suffering significant harm - Whether to order section 37 report - Whether care proceedings should be issued - Whether change of residence