Tanya's specialisms include:
- Care proceedings
- Care proceedings with an educational element
- Special educational needs tribunals
- Residence and contact
- Adoption
- Emergency procedures
- Child abduction and jurisdictional issues
- Financial provision for children
Before moving to the independent Bar, Tanya was an employed advocate at a leading County Council in Greater London and also in private practice, heading the Children Team at a legal 500 rated firm. As well as acting as a solicitor advocate for parents, local authorities and children in private and public law proceedings, she was also instructed as a legal adviser to the Adoption Panel, the Area Child Protection Committee and undertook the training of social workers and multi-disciplinary professionals in all aspects of child protection and court work.
Tanya also took part in numerous Part 8 Enquiries as the legal adviser. This background has given her practice a unique edge in Children related cases.
Tanya returned to the Bar in 2005 and now specialises in Public law children matters - representing local authorities, parents and children cases involving sexual abuse, severe neglect, factitious illness, human rights issues, non-accidental injury ("baby-shaking cases"), including child death and mental health issues.
Tanya regularly trains social workers, solicitors and other multi-disciplinary professionals in matters of Child Protection.
Recent cases:
Tanya was involved in care proceeding where the two children concerned had a mental age of two, but were in fact turning 18, and proceedings were commenced in The Court of Protection.
Tanya acted for a seven-year-old child who had been significantly disabled during birth due to a hospital error. There were also issues of child protection which resulted in care proceedings running alongside the Court of Protection proceedings.
Notable care cases:
A & B (Children : Restrictions on Parental Responsibility : Extremism & Radicalisation in Private Law) [2016] EWFC 40 (22 July 2016) A case about potential radicalisation and cessation of parental rights as a result.
OCC v B & T [2015] EWFC B73 (18 June 2015) Acted for the children in care and placement applications. Mother was profoundly deaf.
HB (A Child) (care proceedings) [2015] EWFC 74 (05 March 2015) Care proceedings. Acted for a father who was suspected by the LA to have killed his child.
Borough of Poole v W & Another [2014] EWHC 1777 (Fam) This case involved an application for an adoption order which was opposed by the birth parents who had been given leave to do so on appeal.
Re X (A Child) [2014] EWHC 2522 (Fam).
Representation of local authorities in the following types of cases:
- Children caught up in a paedophile ring
- Children being used in child pornography, working closely with the police
- Severe inter-generational sexual abuse of multiple children
- Severe neglect and emotional harm leading to mental and psychological impairment
- Starvation of child
- Factitious illness leading to near death of a child
- Death of a child through multiple catastrophic injuries
- Mother sexually abusing her child
- Severe systematic violence in family with use of weapons.
Represention of parents in the following types of cases:
- Representation of a father who had murdered his wife
- Representation of a mother accused of causing 2nd degree burns to a toddler’s face
- Representation of foster parents fighting the LA’s plan to adopt the child placed with them
- Representation of mother (through OS) with severe learning disabilities involving issues of NAI, incest, and neglect
- Tanya also has acted for numerous teenage mothers, and on behalf of the guardian for a number of teenagers.
Family Clerks:
Michael Harding
E: michael.harding@albionchambers.co.uk
T: 0117 311 0302
Julie Hathway
E: julie.hathway@albionchambers.co.uk
T: 0117 311 0305