4PB

Court of Protection; Private Children Law; Public Children Law

Overview

Sally’s principal focus is cases involving children and vulnerable adults. She is regularly instructed in complex care proceedings where there are parallel criminal proceedings, and an unusual expert component

She is regularly instructed by local authorities, parents, and children’s guardians in the most serious medical cases involving non accidental injuries, fatalities, fabricated illness as well as cases involving human trafficking, and serious sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

Sally has been instructed in two (reported) cases involving allegations of factitious and induced illness.

Sally is also instructed in private law cases involving child protection, mental health, intractable contact disputes in families where there is a non-traditional structure or co-parenting arrangement or serious allegations of coercive control. She is in a unique position in that up to 2006 her practice was split equally between crime (sexual assault) and family, thereby equipping her with all the necessary forensic skills and in-depth advocacy experience, which she employs to maximum effect in the family court.

Her Court of Protection practice consists of health and welfare cases with a particular focus on medical treatment disputes including proposed withdrawal of treatment.

Sally has developed a recognised expertise in cases brought under the Inherent Jurisdiction concerning vulnerable adults who have been coercively controlled or emotionally exploited by a family member or friend. She recently represented a young adult whose sister’s treatment programme was frustrated by a family member opposed to conventional medicine

She represented a father in a case where the mother was refusing radiotherapy for their son and had gone into hiding with the child to evade treatment.

Appointments

Family Law Bar Association Committee 2007-2010

French, German.

Professional Memberships

Family Law Bar Association Association of Lawyers for Children Criminal Bar Association Liberty Affiliate Member of Resolution

Education & Qualifications

BA (Hons) French Birmingham University Certificate of Deaf Education CPE (Central London)