Areas of PracticePaul has an established practice in the field of public law care proceedings. He has represented parents, children and local authorities at all levels of the family justice system. . He has acted on a regular basis for both CAFCASS and the Official Solicitor. He also has particular experience of acting for parents, children and Guardians in rule 9.5 private law cases, and Adoption and Special Guardianship Proceedings.
PracticePaul qualified as a solicitor in 1999. He went on to become a partner in a large North West London firm (IBB Solicitors). As a Children Panel lawyer he carried a high caseload of complex files at FPC, County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal level. In 2007 he was admitted as a solicitor advocate after obtaining a Higher Rights Qualification (Civil Proceedings). Prior to qualifying as a solicitor Paul spent 12 years working as a social worker in several London Boroughs. His last post was with the London Borough of Hillingdon as Team Manager of the Youth Justice Team. Throughout his time as a lawyer Paul has involved himself with numerous non-profit making associations and organisations with a focus on children's' rights and child protection issues. He has been a member of the executive committee of the Association of Lawyers for Children and organised the 17th National Conference held in November 2006. Until recently he was a member of the Safeguarding Commission for the Diocese of Northampton. In 2008 he was invited to join a pro-bono panel of lawyers advising the Children's Commissioner. In recent years Paul has developed a particular specialism in representing competent children in both public and private law proceedings. His professional background and experience have proved valuable in enabling him to establish trust and rapport with children of all ages and adults with psychological and mental health difficulties.
Notable casesMr & Mrs O v Orkney Island Counci (2009) [2009] EWHC 3171 (Fam).
Reported at (2010) 1 FLR 1449
The case concerns the circumstances surrounding the child (I), previously looked after by Orkney Island Council, who had lived for most of his life in Cambridgeshire with his carers (Mr & Mrs O).There was a dispute between Orkney Island Council and Cambridgeshire County Council over who should provide services to (I) and his carers. The Judge could not make a decision in relation to the Os application for a Special Guardianship Order because neither council had been prepared to carry out the assessment of Mr and Mrs O and the needs of (I). The Judge referred the matter to the relevant Ministers for England and Scotland. The matter had a high media profile and led to a full review by the Social Work Inspection Agency for Scotland which published it report in March 2010. The case involved complex issues of inter-jurisdictional law and concerned a child with very rare medical needs.
Re F (2007)
Led by Jo Delahunty QC acting directly on the instructions of a 15 year old boy who was a sexual victim of extreme maternal and familial gang rape and buggery. As a result of his experiences he became a sexual abuser himself including violation of his youngest siblings (aged 2 years up) and had engaged in extreme acts of self genital mutilation being described as a 'seriously disturbed young man'.
The trial involved the exploration of a parenting history spanning 26 years including multi generational incest and inter sibling sex abuse (oldest perpetrator 72 (grandmother), youngest child (18 months old)) including repeated acts of violent sexual exploitation, buggery and gang rape - the most severe and extensive that the psychiatric experts had assessed in their combined experience. Re: M (Interim Care Order Removal) Reported at [2006] 1 FLR 1043 Re: R (Care: Disclosure: Nature of Proceedings) Reported at [2002] 1 FLR 755 Re: K (Supervision Orders) Reported at [1999] 2 FLR 303
Societies
Association of Lawyers for Children Last Updated March 2011
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