Lyndsey Sambrooks-Wright

Year of Call: 2008

"Is able to explain complex legal concepts in an easy to understand way to lay people, and gets to the root of the issue at hand quickly."

Legal 500, 2020

"Has ambition and talent to match. I really rate her as a first-class junior in all public law matters."

Legal 500, 2021 (Children Law)

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To get in touch:​ Or you can contact the relevant​ Practice Team Clerks directly and they will be happy to assist with your enquiry.

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Legal 500 2023: Leading Junior

Lyndsey Sambrooks-Wright has been ranked as a leading Junior in the Legal 500 since 2020 and was shortlisted as Young Family Lawyer of the Year in 2012.

Lyndsey is regularly instructed in public and private family law matters, including cases with an international element, and is part of the Court of Protection team. Lyndsey also maintains a criminal law practice and is an experienced mediator.

Family Law

Overview

Lyndsey is regularly instructed in all areas of family law including public law, private law and applications for international family law.

Lyndsey is often instructed in cases involving non-accidental injury. In particular, she has represented clients in a number of cases involving 'shaken baby syndrome' (both as sole and led Junior). Lyndsey has also acted in cases involving issues including serious sexual assault, radicalisation and those with international elements. Lyndsey has a special interest in cases involving transgender issues.

Lyndsey frequently represents vulnerable clients in the family and criminal courts, as well as the Court of Protection.

Notable Cases

Re T [2021] UKSC 35
Appeal concerning the use of the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court to authorise a local authority to deprive a child of their liberty in a non-registered placement. The Supreme Court held that the use of the inherent jurisdiction to authorise deprivation of liberty in non-registered provision was permissible but expressing serious concern about its use to address a shortage of adequate resources.

Discharge of interim care orders: Re H-B-S [2020] EWCA Civ 1027
Represented respondent father in appeal relating to discharge of interim care orders during a part-heard fact-finding hearing. Guidance given by Court of Appeal on correct approach to discharge and delay.

Care proceedings dismissed against parents accused of fracturing baby's arm and leg. Re C [2018]
Represented the mother in a case whereby the parents were accused of causing a number of non-accidental fractures to a baby, an allegation supported by all the medical experts in the case.

At the end of a six-day fact-finding hearing, no findings were made against either parent, the care proceedings were dismissed and the children were returned home.

Contact put in place for mother of baby who had ingested Class A drugs. Re R-L [2017]
Represented mother in care case whereby young infant had suffered developmental delay due to ingestion of Class A drugs. Contact regime put in place for mother.

Children rehabilitated to parents following allegations of inappropriate physical chastisement. Re R, N and D [2017]
Represented Tamil mother in care case with allegations of inappropriate physical chastisement. Children rehabilitated to parents' care.

Acted in application for reintroduction of contact to transgender parent
Re E [2015]:
Represented parent in private law children case whereby one parent was undergoing gender reassignment. Issues relating to reintroduction of child to parent after long period of no contact.

Represented Local Authority in case of shaken baby syndrome. Re M [2013]
Acted as junior alone for Local Authority in case of shaken baby syndrome. After ten day fact-finding hearing, findings were made that the child had been shaken. Child subsequently rehabilitated to parents.

Represented Local Authority as led junior in case of alleged shaken baby syndrome. London Borough of Islington v Al Alas and Wray [2012] EWHC 865 (Fam):
Acted as led junior representing the Local Authority in alleged case of shaken baby syndrome, in which the child was instead determined to have died as a result of a complex medical condition.

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International Family Law

Overview

Lyndsey has acted in cases involving jurisdictional disputes, relocation applications and child abduction matters.

Notable Cases

Jurisdiction deemed to lie in Spain, despite consent order accepting that jurisdiction remained in England and Wales. GW v MW [2015] EWFC 56:
Successfully argued that the matter should be heard in Spain, despite previous consent order accepting that jurisdiction remained in England and Wales.

Determined that matter should be heard in England and Wales despite children being habitually resident in Eire. T v T [2012] EWHC 2877 (Fam):
Successfully argued that England and Wales was the appropriate jurisdiction for a private family law dispute, where the children's habitual residence was deemed to lie in Eire and the issue of jurisdiction was contested.

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Court of Protection

Lyndsey is a member of the Court of Protection team. She has represented clients and Local Authorities in a variety of proceedings including personal welfare applications, deprivation of liberty applications (including emergency applications) and applications involving teenagers.

Lyndsey has found that her family law experience has been of particular assistance when acting in cases that fall between the Court of Protection and Children Act 1989, particularly those relating to complex medical issues and vulnerable clients.

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Criminal Defence

Lyndsey began practicing criminal law in 2008 and has defended clients in a range of cases including serious violence, sexual offences, drug offences and fraud. Lyndsey has particular expertise representing vulnerable clients.

Lyndsey often deals with cases straddling family and criminal law, handling disclosure and publicity applications, as well as Public Interest Immunity proceedings. Lyndsey also acts in linked criminal law and family law proceedings.

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Mediation

Lyndsey qualified as a mediator in 2014 through ADRg. She mediates family cases involving children and financial arrangements, medical issues and intergenerational disputes. Further details can be found on the Garden Court Chambers Mediation website. 

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What others say

"Is able to explain complex legal concepts in an easy to understand way to lay people, and gets to the root of the issue at hand quickly."

Legal 500, 2020

Contact Lyndsey

Notable Cases & News

Garden Court Chambers and Garden Court North remember Ian Macdonald QC

Garden Court Chambers and Garden Court North were honoured to host a memorial event for Ian Macdonald QC 1939-2019 at Middle Temple Hall on Tuesday 7 February 2023.

17 February 2023

Garden Court secures top tier rankings in the Legal 500 2023

Garden Court Chambers is proud to be recognised as a Top Tier set again in the Legal 500.

30 September 2022

Members of the Garden Court Chambers Crime Team support escalating proposed CBA action to include days of action

17 June 2022

Stephanie Harrison QC, Chair and Joint Head of Garden Court Chambers, comments on the Nationality and Borders Bill receiving Royal Assent

29 April 2022

Garden Court Crime Team statement on no returns action

30 March 2022

Garden Court secures number one rankings in Chambers UK Bar Guide 2022

21 October 2021

Garden Court Chambers Crime Team shortlisted for Crime Set of the Year by Chambers Bar Awards 2021

We are delighted to announce that the Garden Court Chambers Crime Team has been shortlisted by the Chambers Bar Awards 2021 for Crime Set of the Year.

27 August 2021

Approved Judgment: H-B-S (Children)

Mai-Ling Savage & Monifa Walters-Thompson of Garden Court represented the appellant, Rebekah Wilson of Garden Court represented the respondent mother, & Lyndsey Sambrooks-Wright of Garden Court represented the father.

29 July 2020

Family Law Update: "Reporting restrictions: when are they useful?"

This case concerns the making of a reporting restrictions order in relation to the birth parents of a young child.

2 April 2019

Family Law Update: Civil restraint orders

Written by Lyndsey Sambrooks-Wright of the Garden Court Chambers Family Team.

17 December 2018

Garden Court Chambers welcome Lyndsey Sambrooks-Wright and Monifa Walters-Thompson to the Family Team

We are delighted to announce that Lyndsey Sambrooks-Wright and Monifa Walters-Thompson have joined the Family Law Team at Garden Court Chambers.

10 August 2018

All related news

Background

Prior to coming to the Bar, Lyndsey worked as an assistant to a Consultant Clinical Psychologist providing medicolegal reports to the family courts and specialising in transgender issues. Lyndsey continues to produce publications through this partnership.

Lyndsey joined Garden Court Chambers in 2018 following ten successful years at a busy common law set.

Publications

Lyndsey is a contributor to Emergency Remedies in the Family Courts, writing on applications under the Children Act 1989 and Family Law Act 1986, as well as issues arising in relation to committal proceedings.

Other publications include a discussion of the issues faced by transgender clients within private law children proceedings and applications under the Gender Recognition Act 2004. Lyndsey has also been interviewed by LexisNexis regarding the decisions in J v B (Ultra-Orthodox Judaism: Transgender) [2017] EWFC 4 and Re M [2017] EWCA Civ 2164. At this link, Lyndsey considers the ramifications in AP v JP (Transgender Applicant for Declaration of Valid Marriage) [2019] EWHC 3105 (Fam). 

Lyndsey has also recorded Family Law Week podcasts on parental alienation, representing clients with disabilities, children's participation in family proceedings and competence of children in family proceedings.

Lyndsey was previously contracted to edit and rewrite the Practical Law (Thomson Reuters) domestic abuse section. She has produced a number of articles for Practical Law, including publications on s20 agreements and claims under the Human Rights Act.

Training and Seminars

Lyndsey regularly produces training materials and undertakes seminars for the benefit of professional clients, including for Family Law Week and MBL. Lyndsey has a particular interest in issues relating to transgender clients and chaired group sessions discussing the impact of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 at the International Women's Conference 2015.

Lyndsey spent some months in Cambodia in 2015 working with a number of NGOs specialising in human rights advocacy. She continues to assist and advise remotely.

Awards

Jordan's Young Family Lawyer of the Year award finalist (2012)

Major Scholar (Lord Astbury), Middle Temple (2007)

Major Scholar (Lord Astbury), Middle Temple (2006)

Education

  • Call to the Bar, Middle Temple (2008)
  • Bar Vocational Course, BPP Law School (2008)
  • Graduate Diploma in Law, City of London University (2007)
  • BA (Hons) English Language and Literature, Oxford University (Pembroke College) (2005)

Professional Membership

  • Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers (executive committee)
  • Resolution
  • FLBA

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