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Overview
Having practised in South Wales for 20 years, Libby moved to Bristol and joined Albion Chambers in 2017. She practises in all areas of children law including public law and adoption cases.
Practice Overview:
Having practised in South Wales for 20 years, Libby moved to Bristol and joined Albion Chambers in 2017. She practises in all areas of children law including public law and adoption cases.
Recommendations:
“Libby is a very calm and measured advocate. She is very approachable yet offers very clear and effective advice.”
“Libby is a fabulous advocate and provides time and reassurance to clients.”
“Libby is always calm, always brilliantly prepared and a compelling, intellectual advocate.”
Chambers and Partners 2024
”Recommended”
Legal 500 2023
“She has deep legal knowledge, prepares thoroughly, remains calm under pressure and is extremely personable.”
Legal 500 2022“Libby is calm and self-assured under pressure. Barristers can often ‘dominate’ discussions and aim to ‘win points’. Libby doesn’t – she listens and digests but then comes up with the killer point which inevitably leads to court to follow her. She has outstanding intuition too. She is nothing less than a marvel and working with her is always a pleasure.”
Legal 500 2021 -
Child Law Public
Libby acts for local authorities, parents, children and individuals represented by the Official Solicitor. In particular she appears in cases involving serious allegations of physical abuse (including complex medical evidence), sexual abuse, fabricated illness and serious neglect.
She represents vulnerable clients who themselves have been the subject of serious emotional, physical or intergenerational sexual abuse. She has acted for Independent Reviewing Officers in cases where damages are sought on behalf of children against local authorities and IROs.
Libby has acted in cases concerning restriction of media reporting.
Reported cases
• A local authority v C and Others [2012] EWHC 3748(Fam)
• Re R (Care Proceedings: Adjournment) [1998] 2 FLR 390Cases of particular significance
Court of Appeal
• Re W – acted for a local authority where findings of serious sexual abuse were made against a grandfather;
• Re S-F – acted for a child where the argument concerned a divergence of view between adoption and long term fostering.High Court
• Re K – a father who killed the mother of his child;
• Re C – a serious medical condition of a child initially medical staff believed to be an inflicted injury;
• Re E – private adoption proceedings with a foreign element;
• Re P – deprivation of liberty proceedings concerning a teenager.County Court
• Re H – a mother who committed murder in the presence of her child;
• Re C – serious rape allegations;
• Re S – parents ignore a serious medical condition leading to death of a child;
• Re G – fractured skull;
• Re I – brain injury to child.