Clare Ciborowska

Children (Public Law)

Public law

Clare has extensive experience representing parties to care proceedings. Clare acts for parents, Guardians, separately represented children, local authorities and interveners and has been involved in complex fact-finding/final hearings with multiple witnesses concerning the most serious of issues, such as sexual abuse, violent offenders, non-accidental injuries, neglect and substance misuse.

Clare is highly experienced in urgent ICO hearings and works extremely well under pressure. She has an approachable and relatable manner with clients and works extremely hard on behalf of clients to achieve results.

Selected Cases

• A Local Authority v parents – Clare was instructed as junior counsel led by Jacqueline Roach in a complex 21 day fact-finding hearing concerning allegations of Fabricated and Induced Illness which involved analysis and management of several thousand medical records.

• A Local Authority v M, F & ZS – Clare was instructed as junior counsel (led by Jacqueline Roach (add link) for the latter part of the proceedings) to represent a child involving highly complex allegations of domestic abuse and parental alienation where several directions were made under S.37 to the local authority when the case was in private law proceedings and the child represented via a r16.4 Guardian. The proceedings also involved wardship and matters concerning international child abduction as well as complex arguments on separate representation of children and Gillick competence. A number of expert assessments were commissioned during the proceedings and findings were made that the mother had alienated the child from the father.

• A Local Authority v respondents – Clare acted Pro Bono on behalf of two parents accused of Female Genital Mutilation of three young girls. Clare successfully argued a number of points of law, procedure rules of evidence and the application was ultimately withdraw by the Local Authority.

• A Local Authority v parents – Clare acted on behalf of a mother concerning allegations of non-accidental injury to a 3-month old baby. Both the mother and the father were initially in the pool of perpetrators and the case involved a number of expert medical witnesses.

• A Local Authority v parents – Clare acted on behalf of a grandmother who had been joined to care proceedings and successfully argued for the child to be placed in the grandmother’s care in opposition to the parents who had significant and overwhelming mental health difficulties.

• A Local Authority v Parents – Clare acted for a mother with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Condition and was successful in arguing for a number of special measures to be put in place and for an intermediary assessment so that the mother was able to fully participate in the hearing and give evidence against the father whilst taking account of her ASC and how it affected her ability to communicate.

• Local Authority v P & G Fact-finding hearing into suspected NAI with child sustaining ALTE injury, bruising and suspected strangulation marks.

• Local Authority v G Application during care proceedings for permission not to give father notice of the proceedings due to risk of violence towards mother and child.

• Local Authority v D Fact-Finding hearing into suspected NAI. Child sustaining injuries to the face. Issue as to causation.