Introduction
Gemma has specialised in family law for 15 years. She is ranked as a Leading Junior in the Legal 500 UK Bar Rankings.
Gemma has spoken at numerous training conferences and seminars for solicitors and magistrates. She provides court skills training to graduate student social workers and law students.
She has been shortlisted in previous years for Birmingham Law Society’s Barrister of the Year award, and Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year award.
Away from work, Gemma is a fan of dystopian fiction, early twentieth century and gospel music, and is learning Russian and ancient Greek.
Public Law Care and Adoption
Gemma represents local authorities, children, parents, extended family members, and, on occasions, foster carers, at all stages of care proceedings and appeals. She has represented clients in courts of all levels up to the Court of Appeal.
She has dealt with applications for leave to oppose adoption, post-adoption/placement contact, discharge of care orders, forced marriage protection orders, and deprivation of liberty.
She has experience of proceedings involving:
- Non-accidental injuries (including head injury, suffocation, stabbing, burns)
- Child death
- Extremism/terrorism
- Trafficking
- Fabricated/induced illness
- Psychiatric illness
- Sexual abuse
- Child sexual/criminal exploitation
- Parental alienation
- Threats of honour killing and risk of forced marriage
- Allegations against children
- Overseas assessment and placement
- Jurisdiction issues
- Instructions by the Official Solicitor
Notable cases
- N (Children: Interim Order / Stay) [2020] EWCA Civ 1070 (https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2020/1070.html)
- C (A Child: Care Proceedings – Inherent Jurisdiction – Deprivation of Liberty) [2019] EWFC B72 (Comm) (https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWFC/OJ/2019/B72.html)
- Re A (2025) represented the children in a case involving conflicting medical evidence where it was necessary to instruct a geneticist
- Re X (2024) represented a mother of a child who engaged in right wing extremism and criminality
- Re Z (2023) represented British children who were in Syria
- Re A (2023) represented the mother in a case of denied/concealed pregnancy and birth, including challenging expert obstetrician and neonatologist evidence
- Re Z (2023) represented a parent in a case involving human trafficking
- Re X (2023) represented a parent in a case involving human trafficking and child sexual exploitation
- Re C (2022) represented the father in a case involving serious head injury to a child
- Re F (2022) represented the children in a case involving significant physical injuries and chastisement that had taken place for over a decade
- Re G (2021) represented the child in a head injury case involving conflicting expert evidence
- Re S (2021) represented the local authority in a case involving child trafficking
- Re J (2020) represented a mother (through the official solicitor) with Huntington’s disease who attended court each day of a final hearing in respect of applications for care and placement orders
- Re N (2019) represented the local authority in a case where the subject children were implicated in deaths of other young people
- Re H (2019) represented a parent of a young baby who had been near fatally smothered
- Re T & A (2018) represented a parent in a head injury and multiple fractures case
- Re N (2018) represented the local authority in a case where the children gave live evidence of serious physical and emotional abuse
- Re F (2018) represented an intervenor in a case of fractures, and bite marks to a young baby’s face
- Re D (2018) represented the children in a case involving allegations (variously against adults and minors) of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, where a non-subject child and a vulnerable young transgender person gave live evidence
- Re D (2017) represented extended family members in a child death case in the High Court
- Re D (2017) represented a terminally-ill parent in a case where the local authority sought to drastically reduce contact
Publications
Vaccination and children law in the time of coronavirus – a public private divide? Family Law October 2020 [2020] Fam Law 1308
Private Law Children
Gemma has dealt with the most emotionally charged and legally complicated of disputes involving children. She is alive to the emotions involved, as well as the need to be pragmatic and child focused. However, her experience in numerous lengthy trials, and before tribunals up to and including the Court of Appeal, means that she is skilled at fighting in court when necessary.
She has experience in proceedings involving the following:
• Child arrangements applications
• Specific issue orders and prohibited steps orders
• Applications by extended family members, and non-biological parents
• Same sex parenting
• Modern family structures
• Representing children
• Change of name
• Internal and international relocation
• Holidays abroad
• Schooling
• Medical treatment, and terminally ill children
• Religious upbringing
• Allegations of rape
• Coercive and controlling behaviour
• ‘Alienation’
• Vulnerable parents, including issues of neurodiversity
• Challenging expert / social work assessments
• Cross-examination of children and vulnerable witnesses
• Finding of fact hearings
• Appeals
Education
LLB London School of Economics
MSc University of Oxford
Queen Mother Scholar Middle Temple
Appointments and Memberships
Testimonials
“Sagacious and highly experienced.” Legal 500 2026
“Gemma is always incredibly well prepared and is able to cut through a wealth of material with ease. Her vast knowledge of the law and legal processes instils instant confidence within her clients and enables her to provide firm but fair advice.” Legal 500 2026
“Gemma is a tenacious and confident advocate. She has an understanding and sensitive bedside manner with extensive knowledge. Gemma has a wealth of experience and her advocacy skills are to be admired. She is a very safe pair of hands.” Legal 500 2025
“Gemma’s calm and reassuring manner, with razor-sharp attention to detail and knowledge of intricate legal issues, makes her a must to instruct. She is thorough in her preparation and gets to the heart of every case quickly and with ease.” Legal 500 2024
“Gemma has a wonderful court manner. She is unfailingly polite but deeply effective. She is passionate about her clients and fights hard to ensure they have fair treatment. She is amazing with vulnerable clients.” Legal 500 2023
“Gemma is a specialist child law barrister. She is compassionate, pragmatic and strategic approach taken, excellent advocacy and forensic preparation in complex public law cases.” Legal 500 2022
“Conscientious, personable and approachable.” Legal 500 2021
