BA (Hons) Psychology (Dunelm)
MA Social Work
LLB (Hons)
Elizabeth is a specialist child law silk and sits as a Family Division Deputy High Court Judge. She has an established national reputation for a compassionate, pragmatic and strategic approach, excellent advocacy and forensic preparation in complex public law cases. Elizabeth has substantial expertise in acting for all parties in complex care, adoption and wardship proceedings and has a detailed knowledge of the legal and social care issues relating to local authority planning and decision making for children.
Elizabeth is highly regarded for her personable and compassionate style with clients, and works collaboratively with solicitors and junior counsel in tactically planning cases as a team from the very outset of her involvement.
Particular areas of interest include:
Elizabeth is an expert authority in the development of the law relating to surrogacy; she was leading counsel in the recent groundbreaking cases of Re X (A Child) (Surrogacy: Time Limit) [2014] EWHC 3135 (Fam) and Re Z (No 2) (A Child) [2016] EWHC 1191 (Fam) (which led to the Government’s revision of the law prohibiting single people from applying for parental orders).
Elizabeth is also regularly instructed in cases following breakdown of surrogacy arrangements or same-sex parenting arrangements.
In 2017 Elizabeth was shortlisted for ‘Family Silk of the Year’ at the Jordans Family Law Awards, in 2018 she was the ‘Regional/Scottish Silk of the year’ at the Legal 500 UK Awards, and in 2019 she was shortlisted again for the same award.
Elizabeth is Direct Access trained and is therefore happy and able to accept instructions from prospective clients directly.
Elizabeth has substantial expertise in acting for all parties in complex care, adoption and wardship proceedings and has a detailed knowledge of the legal and social care issues relating to local authority planning and decision making for children. She recently acted for respondents in Operation Satchel and Operation Directed, the two largest public law cases heard to date in the UK Family Court.
Particular areas of interest include:
In 2017 Elizabeth was shortlisted for ‘Family Silk of the Year’ at the Jordans Family Law Awards, in 2018 she was the ‘Regional/Scottish Silk of the year’ at the Legal 500 UK Awards, and in 2019 was shortlisted again for the same award.
Re Z (A Child) [2015] EWFC 73
Re F (A CHILD) (International Relocation Cases) sub nom DF v N B-F [2015] EWCA Civ 882
Re X (A Child) (Surrogacy: Time Limit) [2014] EWHC 3135 (Fam)
Re B (A Child) [2014] EWHC B1 (Fam)
Re S (A Child) [2013] EWCA Civ 1073
SMBC v RG et al [2013] EWHC 2373 (COP)
Re M (A Child) [2012] EWCA Civ 446
S v Z [2012] EWHC 84 (Fam)
Re D O’H (Children) [2011] EWCA Civ 1343
Re L (Duty to the Court of a Psychologist) [2011] EWHC B29 (Fam)
Re C and D (Photographs of Injuries) [2010] EWHC B27(Fam)
Re X, Y and Z (Children) [2010] EWHC B12 (Fam)
Re W (Care: Threshold Criteria) [2007] 2 FLR 98 (CA)
Re B (Appeals: Lack of Reasons) [2003] 2 FLR 1035 (CA)
Clarke, Hall & Morrison on Children – contributing editor from 2014
Family Court Practice (Jordans) – contributor from 2014
Challenging and Defending Local Authority Child Care Decisions (April 2013) Jordans Publishing (Co-author)
Social Work Decision Making: A Guide for Child Care Lawyers (2nd Edition March 2012) Jordans Publishing (Co-author) – “A valuable addition to any Childcare library.”
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