4PB

International Children Law; Private Children Law; Public Children Law

Overview

Mani is an award winning barrister described as a ‘positive force in family law’. He has been involved in 67 reported and published decisions, all in either the Court of Appeal or the High Court, which appear at the bottom of his profile. He was the winner of the Legal Personality of the Year 2024 award (LexisNexis) and the Family Law Junior Barrister of the Year 2023 award at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards. Mani has a broad practice covering all areas of family law with a particular focus on disputes relating to children.  Hs is regarded as a commentator and author on areas relating to family law. He is recognised and ranked in all the leading directories (Legal 500, Chambers and Partners and Doyles Guide – London). 

Mani has appeared in a number of published cases such as:

Court of Appeal Cases:

• C (A Child) (Change of Given Name) [2024] EWCA Civ 1582
• R (Child Abduction: Parent’s Refusal to Accompany) (Rev1) [2024] EWCA Civ 1296
•  C v M (A Child) (Abduction: Representation of Child Party) [2023] EWCA Civ 1449

•  Re T (Abduction: Protective Measures: Agreement to return) [2023] EWCA Civ 1415  

•  Allami v Fakher (Court of Appeal) [2023] EWCA 532 

•  Re H (A Child) (Recusal) [2023] 4 WLR 64

High Court Cases:

• Re AB and CD (Children) (1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention: Harm/Intolerable Situation; Child’s Objections) [2024] EWHC 3520 (Fam)
• Re C (A Child: Summary Return to Pakistan)  [2025] EWHC 1427 (Fam)

• D v E [2025] EWHC 1172 (Fam)
• P & Anor v S & Anor [2025] EWHC 944 (Fam)
• The Mother v The Father [2025] EWHC 826 (Fam) 
• FB v KS [2025] EWHC 827 (Fam)
• P & Anor v S v Anor [2025] EWHC 468 (Fam)
• H v O (Art 13(b) and Domestic Abuse) [2025] EWHC 114
• N v E [2024] EWHC 3604 (Fam)
•  Re AB and CD (Children) (1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention: Harm/Intolerable Situation; Child’s Objections) [2024] EWHC 3520
•  GK v HX [2024] 3463 (Fam)
•  Person D v Person E [2024] EWHC 2626
•  Samira Addou v Sidali Bennabi [2024] EWHC 2703 (Committal: Sentencing)
• Samira Addou v Sidali Bennabi [2024] EWHC 2702 (Committal)
•  SD v MM [2024] EWHC 2593 (Fam)
•  Omay Ali Elhag Elkndo v Elnoaman Gassam Elsyed (Committal: Sentence) [2024] EWHC 2230 (Fam)
•  Re A and R (1980 Hague Convention: Return to Australia) [2024] EWHC 2190
•  Omay Ali Elhag Elkndo v Elnoaman Gassam Elsyed & Ors (Committal: Findings) [2024] EWHC 2204
•  MAS v ZK & Ors [2024] EWHC 1939 (Fam)
•  A v M & Ors [2024] EWHC 2020
•  E v The Child and Family Agency of Ireland & Ors [2024] EWHC 1778
•  Re D (Wardship: Jurisdiction: Cutting Across Statutory Schemes), Re [2024] EWHC 1658
• Re G and H (Children: Return to Ghana) [2024] EWHC 1453
•  Fakher v Allami [2024] EWHC 841
•  Re N (A Child) (Ukraine: Art. 13 (b)) (No. 2) [2024] EWHC 1282
•  Re N (A Child) (Ukraine: Art. 13 (b)) [2024] EWHC 871
•  R v M (Hague Convention; Withdrawal of Application and Art. 16 (Parental Responsibility)) [2024] EWHC 720

•  GM & Anor v EB & Anor (Rules of Evidence) [2024] EWHC 288

•  MB v KB & Ors (Costs) [2023] EWHC 3299
•  MB v KB & Ors [2023] EWHC 3177

•  EC v BM [2023] EWHC 3237

•  H v Usama Ikram Butt & Anor [2023] EWHC 3042
•  K v E [2023] EWHC 2890 (Fam)

•  Re Z  (A Child) (1980 Hague Convention) [2023] EWHC 2696 
•  Re A (Minors) [2023] EWHC 3537
•  Sater v Sater [2023] EWHC 3509
•  Re A (Article 13b, Ukraine) [2023] EWHC 3524

•  NM v SM [2023] EWHC 2209 

•  Re B (A Child) (Consent; Acquiescence, Intolerability) [2023] EWHC 2162
•  Re K & S (Article 13 (b)) [2023] EWHC 1883 

•  C v M & Anor (No 1 Hague Abduction: Application for Re-hearing) 

•  Re Y (A Child) (Abduction: Romania Article 13(b) [2023] EWHC 1676 

•  Z v Z [2023] EWHC 1673

•  Addou v Bennabi [2023] EWHC 2469 

•  C v M & Anor [2023] EWHC 1182 

•  R v P [2023] EWHC 914 

•  Allami v Fakher [2023] EWFC 59 

•  Re DQ (A Child) (Abduction: Defence of Consent) [2023] EWHC 891 

• •  Re Child E [2023] EWHC 584 
  •  Re T (A Child: Application to Permanently Relocate) [2023] EWHC 545 
  •  FB v MG [2023] 1 FLR 1151 
  •  T v V & Anor [2022] EWHC 2692
  •  Addou v Bennabi (committal) [2022] EWHC 3465 
  •  Re N (Abduction) [2022] EWHC 3146 
  •  J v R [2022] EWFC 104
  •  GTJ v LS [2022] EWHC 3688 
  •  ADK v ASI [2022] EWHC 2610 
  •  YP v HP [2022] EWHC 1954 
  •  F and S (Special Guardianship Order with Supervision Order) [2021] EWFC B19 
  •  London Borough of Southwark v A Family [2020] EWHC 3117 
  •  A City Council v A Mother & Ors (Care Proceedings Radicalisation) [2019] EWHC 3076, [2020] 1 FLR 515 

Publications

Mani is a well-established commentator in the field of Family Law. He regularly appears in leading newspapers and legal platforms and has been published in the Guardian, The Times, Law Society Gazette, International Family Law Journal, Family Law Journal, Counsel Magazine, The Solicitors Journal, Social Work News, Family Law Week.  He is also an author of the following books:

• A Practical Guide to the Participation of Children in Family Law;
• A Practical Guide to Exercising the Inherent Jurisdiction in Family Law Proceedings; and
• A Practical Guide to Stranded Spouses in Family Law.

Mani is also a contributing author for other leading family law texts. He is currently the author responsible for the chapter on appeals in children proceedings for Butterworths Family Law Service as well as a joint author for the chapter on committals and contempt of proceedings in family law proceedings for Rayden and Jackson.

Awards

LexisNexis Legal Awards – Winner of Legal Personality of the Year 2024 Legal Aid Law Awards – Winner of Legal Aid Barrister of the Year 2024 LexisNexis Family Law Awards 2024 – Winner of Junior Barrister of the Year and nominated for International Family Lawyer of the Year and Legal Commentator of the Year Bar Pro Bono Awards – Nominated for Bar Pro Bono Barrister of the Year (and features in the Bar Pro Bono Recognition List 2024) British Family Law Awards 2024 – Nominated for Barrister of the Year LexisNexis Family Law Awards 2024, shortlisted for: Junior Barrister of the Year, International Family Law lawyer and Legal Commentator of the Year awards. Asian Lawyers Awards 2024 and 2023 – Shortlisted for Civil (Family) Lawyer of the Year. LexisNexis Family Law Awards 2023 – Winner of Legal Commentator of the Year.

Appointments

Ethics Committee of the Bar Council of England and Wales [2024 – present] Managing Editor of Family Law Week [2024 – present] Family Law Reviewer for Advocate [2024 – present] Advocacy Trainer for Sikhs in Law [2024 – present] Child Abduction Lawyers Association Committee Member [2022 – present] Elected Member on the Family Law Bar Association Committee [2019 – 2022]

Conversational Punjabi and Hindi

Professional Memberships

The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn Family Law Bar Association Child Abduction Lawyers Association

Education & Qualifications

Law LLB:  First Class Honours Joint LLM (Employment Law and Sports Law): First Class Distinction BPTC:  Very Competent