Mark Twomey KC

As of October 9th, 2015, Mark Twomey was announced as the new joint Head of Chambers with Martha Cover. Mark specialises in all areas of family law, including public and private children, care and adoption proceedings with an international element, adult and social care matters and ToLATA.

Mark has a background in mixed common law, specialising solely in family law for the last 12 years, with particular expertise in care proceedings and abduction. He has regularly appeared in the Court of Appeal, most notably in three landmark cases, leading authorities in their areas:

• Harris v Harris [2001] EWCA Civ 1645 [2002] 2 WLR 747(as regards contempt of Court)

• Soulsbury v Soulsbury [2007] EWCA Civ 969 [2008] 2 WLR 834 (as regards entering contracts as to matrimonial causes without ousting the court’s jurisdiction)

• Metropolitan Housing Trust v Hadjazi [2010] HLR 39 [2010] EWCA Civ 750 (domestic violence as a ground for possession in public housing)

Mark joined Coram in 2005 and is interested in complex cases involving severe injuries, international movement of children and abduction, with a particular expertise in BIIR.  Mark lectured frequently on Adoption, Contempt of Court, BIIR and Abduction, including to the Local Government Lawyers Association, the ALC, to solicitors and within Chambers. He is interviewed regularly by the BBC in relation to legal issues concerning children.

His recent cases include:

• A High Court case, pursuing grave findings on behalf of one of the two applicant Local Authorities, involving three parents and three guardians in a case relating to incest, sexual abuse and international child trafficking
• Child trafficking in care proceedings, looking at conflict before child trafficking regulations and the obligations arising under BIIR, and the issue of habitual residence
• A BIIR case, addressing the correct approach to applications made under Article 15 and involving the issue of international adoption rights in the UK, in particular the adoption of foreign nationals—do UK courts have the right to order the adoption of the children of foreign nationals against the parents’ wishes?
• Cases of inflicted or accidental injuries, most recently one involving the poisoning of a child by salt
• The correct approach, decided on appeal, to be taken to assessments of parents under section 38 [6] Children Acy 1989
• A Court of Appeal case relating to the Possession Order made following domestic violence in the family home

Bristol University (1989 LLB Hons).