FAMILY LAW: CHILDREN'S LAW
Overview
Hannah specialises in public law children work and represents local authorities, parents and guardians. She has a particular interest in representing vulnerable parents with complex needs, including mental health problems and disabilities, and has represented parents with a disability through the Official Solicitor.
She takes extra care of clients for whom the litigation process presents a particular challenge, or who are particularly anxious at court. Hannah ensures that instructing solicitors receive prompt and useful feedback following hearings, both orally and in writing.
She also conducts all private law children matters and domestic violence matters under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996. Hannah has strong client-care skills and tries to bring to her practice empathy and compassion.
Notable Cases
LB Tower Hamlets v T & ors
Acted for a vulnerable respondent mother with a disability in complex case involving two deaf parents and children and issues of sexual abuse by the father.
LB Enfield and LB Kensington and Chelsea v C
Successfully achieved return of four children to mother in case involving serious long-term domestic violence where children had already been placed with mother under care orders.
LB Sutton v B
Acting for the Local Authority, she ensured that very serious matters of violence were established and found against the father in a complex care matter.
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Community Care Law
Overview
Hannah has represented many kinship carers who have brought challenges against local authorities, which have refused to acknowledge the children they are caring for as "looked after" children and/or discriminated against them.
She also conducts judicial review proceedings in respect of local government and government decisions on issues affecting looked after children and children in need; and decisions on kinship care including securing financial support for family and friends caring for children through special guardianship and residence orders.
Notable Cases
R (Bilverstone) v Oxford City Council (2003) All ER (D) 170 (Oct)
Successful judicial review of local authority decision that vulnerable victim of domestic violence had lost her right to be rehoused as a council tenant as she had made an application as a homeless person.
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International Human Rights
Alongside her domestic practice Hannah is active in international human rights and humanitarian law. Her particular areas of interest are child rights and women's rights, particularly in times of conflict. Her international advisory and consultancy work includes:
- Legal Consultant for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) on women's housing, land and property rights in Palestine.
- 2012-now: Expert Lawyer Member of Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative Roster (PSVI), Department for International Development/Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
- 2008-2010: Worked for a Palestinian women's NGO, the Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC), Ramallah, where she wrote shadow CEDAW reports and reports to other international human rights bodies, and attended the Committee sessions on behalf of WCLAC.
- 2008: member of fact-finding mission of international lawyers to Turkey to report on prison conditions in F-type prisons. Authored chapter on women and torture in prisons.
- December 2006 to February 2007: a placement for the Bar Human Rights Committee in Ramallah, Occupied Palestinian Territory. Hannah worked with the local bar association to build the capacity of local lawyers to utilise United Nations human rights mechanisms.
- 2005: member of international delegation to Nepal to investigate and then report on the social and economic conditions for veteran Gurkhas and their families including Gurkha widows.
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Children's Rights
Hannah's practice has focused on promoting the rights of children and young people, including representing children in public law proceedings and in cases involving deprivation of liberty. Hannah also worked internationally on human rights issues, including children's rights for international and local NGOs, having secured a master's with a focus on children's rights.
