Prof Jo Delahunty KC > 4PB > London, England > Barrister Profile
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Prof Jo Delahunty KC
Work Department
Barrister 4PB;
Emeritus Professor of Law, Fellow, Gresham College, London
Position
Children Act proceedings (public and private).
Public law: Specialises in contentious and complex family cases including the death of/catastrophic injuries to a child (TRIAD, NAHI, Shake); sex abuse (including inter-sibling, intergenerational abuse and internet exploitation); ritualised abuse, radicalism, disability issues, benign medical causes mimicking abuse (ALTE, EDS, Vitamin D/Rickets). Acted for the successful appellant in Re T, one of the 4 test cases on Domestic Abuse and Coercive control, Re HN and Others [2021] EWCA Civ 448, the first time the CA had convened to issue guidance on DA in over 20 years. Jo acted for the child victim of torture in A Local Authority v AG [2021] EWHC 1253 (Fam), [2020]EWCH1346 & [2020] EWFC 18 (the first time the Divisional Court had been convened to hear a family case in a decade). Jo acted for 77 families in the Hillsborough Inquests charged with uncovering the inadequacy of the medical response to the disaster.
Private Law: High net worth private law proceedings involving domestic abuse, controlling/coercive behaviour, parental alienation, contact and transfer of residence. Partner/parental abuse including physical, sexual and emotional harm.
Professorship: Jo was Gresham Professor of Law 2016-2020: she became Emeritus Professor of Law and a Fellow of Gresham in 2021. Her lectures are publicly available Gresham.ac.uk.
Awards:
Winner inaugural Chambers UK Bar Award 2021 for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Diversity & Inclusion’
Winner Lexis Nexis case of the Year 2021 for Re HN
Finalist Lexis Nexis ‘Legal Personality of the Year Award’ 2020, Finalist Lexis Nexis Family Silk 2020
Finalist First 100 Years ‘Inspirational Women In Law Award’ 2019
Finalist Lexis Nexis Family Law QC of the Year 2018
Finalist Legal 500 Family Silk 2018
Winner Group Recipient Modern Law Claims Award ‘Outstanding Achievement 2017’
Winner Group Recipient of LALY ‘Outstanding Achievement of the Year Award 2016’
Winner Group Recipient Modern Law Award 2016 for ‘Outstanding Achievement’
Winner Lexis Nexis Family Silk 2013
Directories Chambers and Partners ‘Top ranked Silk’ (Band 1) ‘Jo Delahunty is a legend. She is immensely knowledgeable and very able when it comes to complex child injury cases’ , ‘A Master Strategist who gains the trust of client, & knows exactly what to get out of witnesses’ ( 2021) . Legal 500 (Top Tier) ‘Is as captivating on her feet as she is persuasive in negotiation. She is extraordinary tenacious, kind and brave at work and looks for all-encompassing and human solutions for children taking properly into account the wider implications for each family member dynamic’ (2021) ‘A phenomenal cross-examiner who gets unbelievable results’ ‘She has an extraordinary grasp of medical evidence‘ (2020) . ‘A trailblazer, a passionate advocate for the publicly funded Bar’
Other: Alongside her silk practice, Professorship and sitting (Recorder: Family) Jo is a public speaker via Harvey ThorneyCroft Ltd, speaking to the corporate world nationally and internationally. She delivers training to the judiciary and professionals on domestic abuse, ccb and vulnerable parties. Jo is regularly asked to deliver talks for the likes of Resolution, Justice, Butterworths, Lexis Nexis, Bar Council, FLBA, YLAY and other legal platforms nationally and internationally. Jo has been interviewed by NewsNight and Radio 4 on issues in family law and at the Bar. Jo has written multiple articles for specialist publications such as Family Law, Counsel. The Law Gazette and The Barrister. Jo has been a judge for the Lexis Nexis Family Awards for the past two years (2021/2022)
Door Tenancies: Jo Delahunty KC is a door tenant at Parklane Plowden Leeds
Career
Called 1986, Silk 2006. Recorder 2010. Bencher Middle Temple 2011; Professor Law Gresham 2016-2021, Emeritus Professor of Law, Fellow and Trustee Gresham College 2020- . Freeman of the City of London 2019, Middle Temple, Diversity and Inclusion Committee ‘2020- , Centre for Child and Family Law Reform Committee (CCFLR) 2012 to date. Ambassador Bridging the Bar. Patron Association of Women Barristers, Patron Amend (Association of Multiple Endocrine Disorders), Patron AADR (AA Dog Rescue).
Memberships
FLBA (Family Law Bar Association); AWB (Association Women Barristers); ALC (Association Lawyers for Children). (AWJ) Association of Women Judges, (IAWJ) International Association of Women Judges.
Education
Copthall Comprehensive; St Anne’s College, Oxford University (1985 MA (Jurisprudence), Oxon).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Family: children and domestic abuse
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Jo Delahunty KC –4PB ‘Jo’s advocacy is empathetic, authoritative and persuasive. She has a firm grasp of the complexities and provides a simple view through the difficult issues.’
4PB is ‘a great set of public and private children law barristers’. The set’s members have expertise in all areas of private children’s law, public law proceedings and the international aspects of children’s law. Jo Delahunty KC, who is known for her ‘empathetic, authoritative and persuasive advocacy’. With ‘a firm grasp on the complexities’ and ‘exceptionally good on his feet’, Charles Hale KC handles the most complex and serious child abduction and relocation cases. Turning to the set’s juniors, Jacqueline Renton is regarded as ‘articulate and persuasive in court’ and is experienced at handling both domestic and international children’s law cases. Simon Rowbotham joined the team in October 2023.