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Overview
Hayley Griffiths is an experienced family law barrister who specialises in all aspects of Public and Private Child Law.
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Child Law Public
Hayley advises and represents Local Authorities, parents, grandparents and Guardians.
Her areas of expertise include:
- All aspects of child care
- Emergency Protection Orders
- Secure Accommodation Orders
- Care Order/discharge applications
- Section 38(6) assessments
- Adoption
- Child Arrangements Orders
- Domestic Violence
- Findings of fact cases involving serious inflicted injury (including babies who have shaken), and conflicting medical expert opinion
- Clients with learning disabilities
Recent Cases
- 2023 Represented a father in a private law children case facing allegations of rape and controlling and coercive behaviour. All allegations against him were found to be malicious after a lengthy trial.
- 2022 Represented a father in a private law children case facing allegations of controlling and coercive behaviour and taking sexually explicit photos of his partner without her consent. All allegations by the mother were found to be false after a trial.
- 2021 Represented a local authority seeking findings that the parents had caused serious fractures to their baby.
- 2020 Represented a child who had sustained a serious skull fracture found by the court to be of innocent origin.
- 2019 Represented a parent in a baby shaking case where the child was left with life changing injuries.
- 2018 Represented a father in a private law children case who had admitted downloading sexually explicit images of children.
Notable Cases
- Re D (A Child) (No 3) [2016] EWFC 1 Sir James Munby P
- Re M (Legal Aid: Special Children Act 1989 Case) [2015] EWFC 71: to read the full citation please click on this link –
http://www.familylaw.co.uk/news_and_comment/re-m-a-child-2015-ewfc-71#.V9Zil9JTG0F - Re D (A Child) (No 2) [2015] EWFC 2 Sir James Munby P
- Re D (Non-availability of Legal Aid) [2014] EWFC 39 Sir James Munby P
- Re X and Y (Children: Disclosure of Judgment to Police) [2014] EWHC 278 (Fam) – For the LA resisting an application by a parent for an order to prevent a finding of fact judgment (containing an admission by a parent of causing an injury to a child) being disclosed to the police.
- Wiltshire Council v F and Others [2013] EWHC 2747 (Fam) – Care Proceedings- Declaration as to the age of a child
- Re M (A Child) [2012] EWCA Civ 1710 CA ; [2013 ] 2 FLR 233 – For the LA led by Frances Judd KC
Medically inexplicable ‘spectacular’ skull fractures to a child. Re-trial ordered. - Re L and M [2013] EWHC 1569 (Fam) – Re-trial before Baker J for the LA led by Pamela Scriven KC
- Re M (A Child) [2012] EWCA Civ 1905 – Protective measures necessary for a father who lacked capacity to give instructions where he faced serious allegations that he caused a head injury to his child. Re-trial ordered.
- Re A (A Child) [2013] EWHC 3502 (Fam) – Guidance in cases when parents suffer with a learning disability. Re-trial before Baker J – led by Frank Feehan KC
- Re X [2010]- Coleridge J – Murder of the mother by father. Issue was whether there should be direct contact between the children and father. Acted for the children.
- Re S [2010] Baker J – Non-accidental injuries to a child who was a non-resident of the UK. Brussells II Revised applied. Acted for the Swedish father led by Henry Setright KC
- Re M (Allegation of Rape: Fact Finding Hearing) [2009] EWCA Civ 1385 CA – Acted for the LA. Allegation of rape set aside fter mother admitted she had lied.
- Re R (A Child) [2009] EWHC 838 Fam – Intractable contact dispute leading to a change of residence of a 12 year old. Acted for the child.
- Re S (Placement Order: Revocation) [2009] 1 FLR 503 CA – Acted for the LA.
- Re B (Psychiatric Therapy for Parents) [1999] 1FLR 701 CA -Acted for the LA led by James Munby KC Assessment of the parents did not fall within CA 1989 S38(6)
- Re G (Adoption: Freeing Order) [1997] AC 613 HL – Application to revoke a Freeing Order. Acted for the LA led by Michael Horowitz KC
Hayley has been shortlisted for “Barrister of the Year 2016” by both the Bristol Law Society and Modern Law Awards, recognising her legal expertise and commitment to excellence in Family Law.