Martha Gray > Harcourt Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile

Martha Gray

0844 561 7135 mgray@harcourtchambers.co.uk View profile View profile

Position

Martha specialises in cases concerning children and vulnerable adults in the Family Court and the Court of Protection, many with an international dimension.  Martha regularly represents family members, public authorities and the Official Solicitor in both courts.  Since January 2020, she has been an editor of the Court of Protection Law Reports. 

A large part of Martha’s practice involves cases with an international element.  She is currently instructed in a high profile case concerning two missing children which has attracted national media attention.  She is regularly instructed in international abduction, forced marriage and stranded spouse cases in the High Court.  Martha also has experience of international public law cases involving such issues as radicalisation, sex trafficking, international adoption and the placement of children abroad.  In addition, Martha has extensive experience of complex public children work including cases of non-accidental injury and human rights claims.  She has particular skill in cases involving incapacitated or learning disabled parents.  Martha also has extensive experience within the private law field including cases involving relocation, surrogacy and assisted reproduction and mental health issues.

Much of Martha’s work is at the interface between family and Court of Protection work including applications under the inherent jurisdiction, medical treatment cases and cross-border issues.  Her Court of Protection practice is focussed exclusively on health and welfare disputes concerning vulnerable and incapacitated adults.  She has experience of a wide range of cases involving disputes regarding residence, care, contact, deprivation of liberty and serious medical treatment including end of life care.  Martha regularly speaks at conferences and seminars and writes widely in the field, editing and contributing to the Court of Protection Law Reports and other publications.  

Career

Notable Cases
Re J (Care Proceedings: Placement in Bangladesh) [2020] EWHC 490 (Fam): Complex international care proceedings concerning the appropriate legal framework for the placement of a child with family members in Bangladesh.

Re R [2020] EWHC 73 (Fam): Highly unusual factfinding in a child abduction case involving children declared missing, which led to the making of summary return orders under the court’s inherent jurisdiction and publicity orders.

A Local Authority v CD & Ors [2016] EWHC 1769 (Fam): Complex factfinding in a case involving the death of a young child.

Re Z (Application for Release of DNA Profiles) [2014] EWHC 1999 (Fam): A high profile case in which the father had murdered the mother and disclosure of DNA profiles taken from the crime scene was sought in order to establish the children’s paternity.

Publications
Deprivation of Liberty for 16 & 17 Year Olds: The Decision in In the matter of D (A Child) [2019] UKSC 42(Family Law Journal, July 2020)
The Coronavirus Guidance for Local Authorities on Children’s Social Care (Family Law Journal, June 2020)
The Ethics of Remote Hearings in the Criminal and Family Courts (Counsel Magazine, May 2020)
Deprivation of Liberty: The Question of Consent (Family Law Journal, April 2019)
When Can Judges Change Their Minds? The Supreme Court’s Judgment in L and B (Children), (http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed112000)

Memberships

Member of the Ethics Committee of the Bar Council
Member of the Family Law Bar Association
Member of the Court of Protection Bar Association
Full member of the Child Abduction Lawyers’ Association

Education

Martha read history at St Hugh’s College, Oxford. Prior to coming to the Bar, Martha interned at the Center for Equal Justice in New Orleans and at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative in New Delhi.  In 2010 and 2011 she was made a Diplock Scholar of Middle Temple.  She won the Rosamund Smith Mooting Competition in 2011 and was a finalist in the City University Mooting Competition in the same year.