Sarah Pope > Albion Chambers > Bristol, England > Barrister Profile
Albion Chambers Offices
BROAD STREET
BRISTOL
BS1 1DR
England
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Sarah Pope
Position
Sarah specialises in complex public and private law children proceedings and the law relating to incapacitated adults in the Court of Protection. Sarah joined Albion Chambers in 2014, having practised in London for over 20 years. She is an experienced trial advocate, is quick witted and fights her client’s corner. Clients and instructing solicitors have praised her for her client care skills, her meticulous preparation, her effective cross-examination and her “incisive”, “straight talking” approach. A significant proportion of Sarah’s work arises through personal recommendation. Sarah was a solicitor for over 10 years before she transferred to the Bar. During this time she founded Wilkinson Pope, a niche family law practice in Islington. On her transfer to the Bar she joined 14 Gray’s Inn Square (now Fourteen), where she was instructed by some of London’s leading specialist family law firms and where she continues as a Door Tenant. Public Access: Sarah is licensed under the Public Access rules and her previous experience as a solicitor makes her particularly well placed to undertake this type of work. Sarah has extensive experience of acting for all parties in private law and public law children proceedings and therefore of assessing each case from every angle. Having been a member of the Law Society Children Panel for many years, she is a popular choice with Guardians. Sarah’s practice in care proceedings encompasses the full range of issues including child death, NAI, intrafamilial sexual abuse, fabricated illness, learning disability, teenage pregnancy and concurrent criminal proceedings. Sarah is also experienced in cases involving fact finding, wardship, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and cases with an international element. In private law cases Sarah offers pragmatism and a solution-based approach. Sarah undertakes work in the Court of Protection. She covers a broad range of areas under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, with an emphasis on health and welfare issues, as well as cases in the High Court’s jurisdiction in relation to vulnerable adults. Her work includes: Personal welfare applications, Serious medical treatment applications, Section 21A applications challenging authorisations of deprivation of liberty in a care home or hospital under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), Emergency applications, Advising on local authority safeguarding duties and on the community care law issues arising in Court of Protection cases, Contested applications for the appointment of deputies (welfare/financial affairs), and other property and affairs applications, Proceedings concerning 16 and 17 year olds, and the overlapping jurisdictions of the Court of Protection and Children Act 1989.
Career
Called 2006; Lincoln’s Inn (Admitted as a solicitor 1994)
Languages
Sarah speaks fluent French and conversational Italian.
Memberships
FLBA; ALC; Adoption UK, MHLA; COPPA, Western Circuit
Education
BA (Hons) Law & French
Lawyer Rankings
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Family: children and domestic violence
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Sarah Pope – Albion Chambers ‘Sarah is a very strong and ferocious advocate with extensive knowledge. She has a calm presence and clients trust her. She is able to deal with the most difficult cases and navigate tricky counsel on the other side with ease.’
Albion Chambers is widely praised as ‘one of the leading family law chambers in Bristol and the South West’. Sarah Pope, ‘great with clients and her opponents alike’, has considerable experience handling complex matters, including those involving child death, serious physical abuse, and families including individuals with learning disabilities. Caroline Middleton, a ‘determined and fearless advocate’, is often instructed in cases involving controlling and coercive behaviour and serious sexual assault, as well as allegations of parental alienation. In September 2023 James Cranfield was appointed to the circuit bench.