+44 (0) 20 7421 8019
Mercy is a specialist family law practitioner who specialises in public and private law children cases. She represents local authorities, parents, grandparents and children through their guardians and directly where they are deemed competent.
Mercy has extensive experience in cases involving sexual abuse, non-accidental injuries and serious physical abuse (including fractures and burns), fabricated or induced illness and chronic neglect.
Mercy also regularly instructed in Deprivation of Liberty cases.
Mercy has represented vulnerable adults with mental health issues. She has acted on behalf of parents who were assessed to lack capacity through the Official Solicitor.
Key cases
Re H (Shared Residence: Parental Responsibility) [1995] 2FL
Court upheld decision to make a Shared Residence Order where the primary purpose was to confer parental responsibility on a step-father.
Re K (Application to Remove from Jurisdiction) [1998] 2 FLR 1006, Charles
Relocation and permanent removal of children out of the jurisdiction: whether factors including the political, economic and general living conditions of the country of destination are relevant to the issue of the welfare of the child.
O and Another v Orkney Island Council [2010] 1 FLR 1449 FD, Hedley J
Court considered whether a Scottish local authority could be compelled to undertake or fund a Special Guardianship Assessment in respect of a child placed by the Scottish local authority with kinship carers in England.
Re M (A Child) [2011] EWCA Civ 1161, McFarlane and Hughes LJJ
Court of Appeal found that there had been no procedural irregularity or unfairness where a judge had indicated after the first day of a hearing that he was minded to grant an extension of a residential assessment under s.38 (6) of the Children Act 1989 but came to a contrary decision after hearing evidence at the resumed hearing.
Areas of expertise
Mercy has worked extensively in private law children cases.
Mercy is a qualified arbitrator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Panel Member of CIArb. She holds a Diploma in International Arbitration.
Mercy has been appointed to the Dispute Appointment Service of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Hunt ADR and Travel Arbitration Panel.
Further information
University of Cardiff (LLB, 1980)
Queen Mary University Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLCQ) (Dip. International Commercial Arbitration), 2008
Dispute Appointment Service of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Hunt ADR and Travel Arbitration Panel member
Ghana Arbitration Centre panel member
LCIA
IBA
Mercy sits as a Fee Paid Road User Charging Adjudicator at the London Tribunal.