Practice Overview
Peter appears and advises in a wide variety of private law children’s cases as well as public law care, adoption, inherent jurisdiction and other proceedings, with a particular interest in heavy medico-legal and international cases of all types. He has appeared at all levels of court, often in high-profile cases. Peter frequently represents Local Authorities and children’s Guardians as well as private clients.
-
Children (Public Law)
Peter is very experienced practitioner in public law cases, representing equally Local Authorities, family members and Guardians as well as intervening police forces. His practice covers all aspects of public law with an emphasis on complex fact-findings hearings, especially those with a medico-legal element and cases with an international context or religious or cultural issues as well as forced marriage and child trafficking.
Major reported public law children cases:
C (A Child) (Fact-Finding) [2022] EWCA Civ 584
Thurrock Council v M & Ors (Withdrawal of Care Proceedings) [2021] EWFC 22 (10 March 2021)
Brighton and Hove City Council v MM and others [2017] EWFC 85
Northamptonshire County Council v M and others [2017] EWHC 997 (Fam); [2017] 2 FLR 1250
Re P (Care Proceedings: Appeal) [2016] EWCA Civ 3; [2017] 1 FLR 417
London Borough of X v CD and others [2016] EWFC 51
Re X, Y and Z (Payments from Patient’s Estate for Children’s Maintenance) [2014] 2 FLR 1051
Re C (Adoption: Assessment of Grandparents) [2013] 2 FLR 59 (Court of Appeal)
WSCC v M, F, W, X, Y and Z [2011] 1 FLR 188 (Fam Div)
Re I (Care Proceedings: Fact‑Finding Hearing) [2010] 2 FLR 1462 (Court of Appeal)
E v London Borough of X [2006] 1 FLR 730 (Fam Div)
Re R (Adoption: Contact) [2006] 1 FLR 373 (Court of Appeal)
Re H (Termination of Contact) [2005] 2 FLR 408 (Court of Appeal)
Re G (Contempt: Committal) [2003] 2 FLR 58 (Court of Appeal)
Re M (Terminating Appointment of Guardian ad litem) [1999] 2 FLR 717 (Fam Div)
Re R (Inter-Country Adoptions: Practice) [1999] 1 FLR 1042 (Fam Div)
Re R (No 1) (Inter-Country Adoption) [1999] 1 FLR 1014 (Fam Div)
Re L (Care: Confidentiality) [1999] 1 FLR 165 (Fam Div)
Re B (Care: Expert Witnesses) [1996] 1 FLR 667 (Court of Appeal)
Re H and R (Child Sexual Abuse: Standard of Proof) [1995] 1 FLR 643 (Court of Appeal)
Buckinghamshire CC v M [1994] 2 FLR 506 (Court of Appeal)
Devon CC and Others v S and Others [1993] 1 FLR 842 (Fam Div)
Re W (A Minor) (Secure Accommodation Order) [1993] 1 FLR 692 (Fam Div)
Re B (Minors) (Care: Contact: Local Authority's Plans) [1993] 1 FLR 543 (Court of Appeal)
-
Children (Private Law)
Peter has considerable experience of the full range of private law children’s cases, including child arrangements, special guardianship and specific issue disputes, internal and international relocation, intractable hostility to contact and alienation cases. His particular interests lie with cases involving complex medical, international, religious or cultural matters.
Major reported private law children cases:
Re B (A Child) [2010] 1 FLR 551 (Supreme Court)
Re B (Residence: Second Appeal) [2009] 2 FLR 632 (Court of Appeal)
Re H (Termination of Contact) [2005] 2 FLR 408 (Court of Appeal)
Re F-K (A Child)(Contact: Departure from Evidence) [2005] 1 FCR 388 (Court of Appeal)
A v A (Shared Residence) [2004] 1 FLR 1195 (Fam Div)
Re D (Abduction: Acquiescence) [1999] 1 FLR 36 (Fam Div)
E v E (Child Abduction: Intolerable Situation) [1998] 2 FLR 980 (Fam Div)
Re D (A Minor) (Contact: Mother's Hostility) [1993] 2 FLR 1 (Court of Appeal)
M v M (Minors) (Removal from Jurisdiction) [1992] 2 FLR 302 (Court of Appeal)
Mir v Mir [1992] 1 FLR 624 (Fam Div)
Richardson v Richardson [1990] 1 FLR 186 (Fam Div)
-
International Family Law
Peter is frequently involved in cases involving leave to remove, abduction to or retention in this country, recovery of children from overseas, adoption overseas or from other jurisdictions, care proceedings with an international dimension and cases affected by Brussels IIR.
