Areas of Practice

Having completed a pupillage with Mark Hedley Esquire [later  Mr Justice Hedley] I initially developed a mixed practice including crime, civil and family:

• Crime: Including offences against the person, dishonesty offences and supply of drugs
• Civil: Including PI, Landlord and tenant [eg. R v Knowsley MBC ex parte Bowen]
• Civil actions involving the police [eg.  Mulvaney v Chief Constable of Cheshire Police (CA)]
• Family: Public and private law [eg Re P (Adoption) (Natural Fathers Rights), Re T ( Care Orders)

Having developed and consolidated my expertise in family law, I now specialise in it.

Public Law:

• Acting for parents, local authorities, guardians, children, the Official Solicitor and others for example grandparents and interveners.
• Dealing with complex cases involving disputed expert evidence.
• Dealing with all manner of public law cases for example care applications, placement orders, adoption, special guardianship and post adoption contact as well as appeals.
• The range of issues include:
• Infant deaths, infanticide, murder of siblings and so called ‘honour’ killing.
• Non-accidental injuries including fractures and NAHI
• Sexual abuse.
• Domestic violence.
• HBV (Honour based Violence)
• Forced marriage
• Mental Health including allegations of factious illness.
• Substance abuse.
• Transracial, transgender and transborder matters.
• Human Rights.
• Public Interest immunity.
• Radicalisation and Terrorism
• FGM
• Deprivation of liberty

Private Law:

• Child Arrangement Orders
• Special Guardianship
• Adoption
• Forced Marriage Issues
• FGM

Issues Include:

• Implacable hostility and allegations of ‘parental alienation’.
• Domestic abuse.
• Sexual and other abuse.
• Substance abuse.
• Removal from the jurisdiction.
• Child abduction.
• Issues of transgender.
• PR including issues involving non-biological parents.
• Involvements of children and guardians pursuant to Rule 16 FPR
• Representing Parents, grandparents and other interested third parties for example partners of parents.

Other:

• Ability to handle a wide range of witnesses from experts, lay witnesses through to children.
• Experience of conducting hearings using different modes of communication including use of language interpreters, sign language experts and use of lip readers.
• Use of video link to conduct hearings.
• Ability to speak Urdu and Punjabi.
• Providing training for a cross section of professionals.

Memberships:

• FLBA
• PIBA
• Child Concern

Interests

Cricket, politics and history.

Covering a wide geographical area and willing to travel.