Called 1979, Silk 2003  |   Email: jbritcher@westgate-chambers.co.uk

Chambers & Partners: “Leading Silk”

Area of Practice

Family Law.

Notable Cases

• F v Kent County Council [1993] 1 FLR 432
• M v Birmingham City Council [1994] 2 FLR 141
• Re P (Abduction: Minor’s views) [1998] 2 FLR 825 CA
• Re B (Agreed findings of fact) [1998] 2 FLR 968 CA
• Re B (Appeal: Lack of Reasons) (2003) EWCA 881 Fam Law 716; 2 FLR 1035
• Re T (Judicial Review: Local Authority Decisions Concerning Child in Need)(2003) EWHC 2515 Admin (2004) 1 FLR 601
• Re U; Re LB (Serious Injury: Standard of Proof) (2004) 2 FLR 263 CA
• Re U (Re-opening of Appeal) (2005) 2 FLR 444 CA
• Re F (Interim Care Order)(2007) 2 FLR 891 CA
• Re C (A child) (Duty of Local Authority) (2007) 3 FCR 659 CA
• Re B (Care Proceedings: Standard Proof) [2008] 2 FLR 173
• Re C (A child) v XYZ County Council [2008] 1 FLR 1294 CA
• AA v NA (Appeal: Fact-Finding) [2010] 2 FLR 1173

Qualifications

LL.B Hons University of London

Professional Associations

Elected Committee Member FLBA
Member of the Association of Lawyers for Children (ALC)
Formerly elected Member of the Bar Council for 6 years;
Appointed Member of the Bar Standards Board Complaints Committee
Member of the SE Circuit

Publications

Halsbury’s laws of England, fifth re-issue of the volume entitled “Children & Young Persons”
Co-author: Related Family and Criminal Proceedings, A Good Practice Guide
Practical research papers for Sweet and Maxwell on care and adoption issues

Additional Information

Chambers and partners: formerly a leading junior – Family Child Care including Child Abduction . 1998/1999, 2000/2001, 2002/2003 “first rate”, “unflapable in a crisis”

Leading Silk in Chambers and Partners since 2003/4

2003/4: “admired for her “serenity and control”

2005: “her “scrupulous courtesy before the tribunal” has endeared her to many a judge”

2006: “has laced her habitually delightful manner with a certain steeliness” since her elevation. Solicitors admire her as someone who “presents her case very tightly and leaves the opposition very little to go on”

2007: “an outstanding advocate for children work”

2008 “a cool customer who is always well prepared”

2009: ” an incredibly effective silk, winning plaudits for her “meticulous attention to detail, efficiency and responsiveness.” She “gets to the nub of a matter without any undue fuss.” “Extremely clear and knowledgeable”

2010: “highly experienced childcare barrister who is adept at dealing with distressed clients”. According to solicitors “Rowe’s humanity is a lovely thing to see”

Lectures Regularly:

Delivers annual lecture to the FLBA

Speaker at the 2010 Jordans Child Law Conference on recent issies in private children law

Speaker at the 2010 Butterworths Child Care Law Conference on recent issues in public children law

Trains treating paediatricians in legal skills; lectured in the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH); prepared a training video for medical practitioners (RCPCH/NSPCC initiative)

Drafted responses to consultation papers on behalf of the FLBA and the Bar Council on topics including contact, domestic violence and adoption.

Interests

Married, 2 children. Skiing and scuba diving.