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Call: 1980

Geraint Norris

Albion Chambers

Broad Street Bristol BS1 1DR

Email
  • Overview

    Geraint is one of the leading family practitioners on the Western Circuit specialising in cases involving the welfare of children. He acts for local authorities, parents, children and Children’s Guardians in serious Public and Private Law cases, both in the High and County Courts.

  • Child Law Public

    Geraint has many years experience of acting in sensitive and complex cases relating to a wide range of issues including cases involving abusive head trauma (“shaken-baby syndrome”) and the triad of subdural haemorrhages, retinal haemorrhages and brain swelling; acting in the High Court in Bristol in cases for the Local Authority in Glos CC v S and D [2010] (findings made) and the mother in a case involving numerous experts and with a significant foreign (Poland) element: Glos CC v R and M [2011] (findings made but child returned home).

    He has also appeared in the reported cases of Re: N (Minors) Abduction [1991] 1 FLR 413 (an early case under the Hague Convention involving the removal of children from Texas) and the first significant reported case involving Special Guardianship A Local Authority v Y, Z and Others [2006] 2 FLR 41 – acting for a mother who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.

    Geraint represented the parent of a teenage girl who had engaged the services of the Forced Marriage Unit whilst in Turkey and who instigated the issue of complex proceedings under the Forced Marriage Act 2007 (Glos CC v T and T (re: ST) [2008]). He acted for a local authority in a case where FGM (female genital mutilation) was alleged and also the issue of designated Local Authority (Cardiff CC and Bristol CC v A and J [2011]).

    He has acted in numerous cases where children have sustained serious non-accidental injury including multiple fractures (Glos CC v C (a case involving a young man employed in the military)), starvation (Somerset CC v LQ), death from methadone ingestion (Glos CC v R), factitious illness syndrome (BANES v M), frozen baby/hypothermia (Glos CC v S and R [2011]) and many case involving neglect and emotional abuse.

    Geraint has particular expertise in acting for Children’s Guardians and for young and vulnerable parents whose own backgrounds have placed them at grave disadvantage when becoming parents themselves. Also in matters involving the analysis of local authority and other records with a view to disclosure into criminal proceedings, whilst considering PII and the Human Rights of defendants is an important element of his work.

    In Private Law proceedings he has appeared in the Court of Appeal in relation to an order made under S91 Children Act 1989 (Re C [2005]) and has acted in many seemingly intractable disputes for parents or Children’s Guardians and achieved resolution where this had seemed unlikely. He has acted in many cases involving removal from the jurisdiction within private proceedings (e.g. Re: T-B [2005] New Zealand) as well as a case involving Europe (including a case for a Guardian where a looked after child was being placed abroad) and the rest of the world.

Geraint Norris

Lectures

Geraint lectures at training days and has regularly chaired the Albion Chambers Annual Public Law Children Conference held in Bristol for members of the legal profession, social workers and their managers. He also writes for the Albion Family Team Newsletter.

Education

  • MA (Oxon) Jurisprudence

Professional memberships

  • Western Circuit
  • FLBA