Stephen has maintained a wide ranging practice dealing in family law (child and finance), public law, human rights law, judicial review, general civil law with a particular emphasis on civil actions against the police both with and without juries, prison law, contract law, personal injury and employment law.
He has a background in criminal law where he prosecuted and defended in the most serious of cases as junior alone and as leading junior. As well as the wide range of general criminal cases, he dealt with cases of murder, manslaughter, sexual and other offences against children, conspiracy to defraud , armed robberies and all offences of violence. He was appointed to the Attorney General’s Panel of Prosecution Advocates for 6 years.
Stephen lectures on such topics as public interest immunity for police officers, immigration officers and social workers and the interface between family law and criminal law to local authorities and police forces.
Family Law:
Stephen is regularly instructed in complex care proceedings on behalf of parents and guardians, dealing with all forms of sexual abuse allegations, life threatening and less serious non accidental injury especially where there is a dispute of expert evidence, neglect, parents with grade 1-5 children images on computers.
He has particular experience in representing vulnerable parents and children.
Stephen also deals with contact and residence disputes, cases of child abduction, medical treatment (children and patients), cases of wardship/within the inherent jurisdiction and ancillary relief.
Stephen appears in the County Court and the High Court and has made numerous appearances in the Court of Appeal.
His reported cases of interest include:
- Re Y ( a Child: Care proceedings) [2011] All ER (D) 03 Dec
- Re H ( Children) ( Sexual Abuse: fact finding) [2011] All ER (D) 69 May
- Re H (Children) [2006] (concurrent criminal and family proceedings) All ER (D) 294 Dec; EWCA Civ 1875
- Re E (Children) (Domestic violence :direct contact) [2005] All ER (D) 86
- Re B (a child) (Split hearings: jurisdiction) [2000] 1 WLR 790, [2000] 1 FCR 297, [2000] 1 FLR 334, [2000] Fam Law 320
- Re S ( A minor) ( Appeals from the Principal Registry ) [1998] 1 FCR 119
Public law, human rights law, judicial review, general civil law ,employment law.
Stephen has made a number of appearances before the Administrative Court in a wide variety of matters including miscalculation of prison terms , procedural unfairness in a doctor being struck off the medical register , government conspiracy to withhold information from serving prisoners, failures by magistrates to allow adjournments , interpretation of sentencing statute in respect of young offenders .
Stephen has dealt with civil actions against the police for the past 20 years. He primarily represents claimants and is particularly experienced in cases of misfeasance in public office, assault, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.
In the prison law field , Stephen has dealt with numerous cases involving prisoners sustaining injuries by reason of attack by fellow prisoners, prison officers and by reason of unsafe work and other practices.
Stephen has appeared in numerous contract disputes in the County Courts and has particular experience in dealing with civil cases involving allegations of fraud.
In employment law, Stephen has experience in dealing with cases concerning disability discrimination, race and sexual discrimination and whistle-blowing cases.
His reported cases of interest include;
- Hussain v Chief Constable of West Mercia Constabulary [2008] EWCA Civ 1205, [2008] WLR (D) 342 (what constitutes psychiatric or physical injury for the purposes of misfeasance in public office.)
- Tinsa v GMC [2008] All ER D 140
- Crown Prosecution Service v Picton [2006] EHWC 1108
- R v Crown Prosecution Service ex parte Stebbeds [ 2004] EWHC 2252
- Hutt v Metropolitan Police Commissioner [2003] EWCA Civ 1911, The Times December 5 2003.
- R ) on the application of C) v Balham Youth Court ( sentencing young offenders) [2003] All ER (D) 325, Crim LR 636, 167 JP 525
- R v Wallace ( Life Sentences ) [2001] 2 Cr APP R (S) 427
- Chief Constable of Kent v Rixons and others The Times 11 April 2000
Published Articles:
Are you sitting comfortably - Operation of Limitation Act 1980, Solicitors Law Journal - [Jan 2010]
Memberships:
Family Bar Association
Criminal Bar Association
Kent Bar Mess
Related Practice Areas:
Children and Finance
Civil Law
Public Law