Michael Jones KC
Year of Call: 2008
Kings Counsel: 2023
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Michael’s Children Act practice incorporates cases involving international issues such as that of jurisdiction, child abduction, and the placement of children outside of the United Kingdom. He also has experience of undertaking work in the Oversea Territories, having previously been instructed in a case before the Supreme Court of St Helena. In terms of Michael’s regular practice, he is instructed in public law proceedings where issues relate to serious injuries to children and involve complex medical issues including abusive head trauma/brain injury to infants, and fabricated and induced illness. Michael has also appeared in a number of cases involving child death, where concurrent criminal proceedings have received national media attention.
Michael is the author of the practitioner’s textbook ‘Children: the Inherent Jurisdiction and Wardship’ and has advised and represented various parties within wardship proceedings relating to matters such as abduction, medical treatment and alleged radicalisation. He has a particular interest in the use of the inherent jurisdiction in the context of medical treatment cases relating to children and has extensive experience in cases involving the deprivation of liberty of children in proceedings brought within the Court of Protection and under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court.
In relation to proceedings within the Court of Protection, Michael is experienced in dealing with applications relating to complex welfare issues, including serious medical treatment in cases heard before Judges of the Family Division. He represents both public authorities and litigation friends. He is also currently, the head of the Court of Protection team.
In 2015 Michael was awarded a Pegasus Scholarship from Middle Temple. He undertook a 10-week placement in New Zealand, working in the capacity as junior Crown Counsel for the initial part of the placement, where he acted in an advisory capacity to various government departments; he worked on cases involving issues in relation to international jurisdiction and judicial review. He also spent time working in the Ministry of Social Development, the government body responsible for child protection within the New Zealand Court system.
Michael served a 3 year term as an elected member of the Bar Council and has been involved in various committees on a national as well as a regional level. He has published articles for a number of well known publications including the Family Law Journal, Counsel Magazine and Community Care.
Publications
Articles
“To assess or not to assess: Section 38(6)” (Family Law Journal, October 2011)
“Section 20 v Private Fostering” (Family Law Journal, May 2012)
"The Inherent Jurisdiction: what place does it have in the future of family justice?" (Family Law Journal, November 2015)
“Deprivation of a child’s liberty: Section 25 and the need for legislative reform” (Family Law Journal, June 2017)
"Secure Accommodation: Problems and Solutions’ (Family Law Journal, September 2020)
Michael has also contributed to Family Law Week online, in respect of both case summaries and topical legal articles and contributed to other publications such as Counsel Magazine.
Books
“Children: the Inherent Jurisdiction and Wardship” (Jordan’s Publishing, 2016)
Interests
Michael enjoys endurance sports, in particular running and cycling, both of which are usually undertaken with his trusty companion, Lucy the Doberman (he is a committed ‘dog dad’). He practices martial arts and has represented England at an amateur level at the WKC world championships in 2009. He also has a keen interest in cinema, music and cooking (often with mixed results).
“Michael Jones’s wealth of knowledge in family matters is second to none, with the ability to provide clear advice and excellent advocacy.”
Chambers & Partners, 2024
Notable Cases
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Re T (A Child)(S9(6) Children Act 1989 Orders: Exceptional Circumstances: Parental Alienation) [2024] EWHC 59 (Fam)
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Lancashire County Council v M & Ors [2023] EWHC 3097 (Fam)
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A Local Authority v X & Ors (Need for Finding of Fact Hearing) [2023] EWFC 121
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Mr and Mrs C v D & Ors [2023] EWFC 10
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Lancashire County Council v PX & Ors [2022] EWHC 2379 (Fam)
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Re G (Child Post-Mortem Report: Delays) [2022] EWFC 55
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A Borough Council v E (Unavailability of Regulated Placement) [2021] EWHC 183 (Fam)
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A Borough Council v E & Ors (No. 2) (Refusal of Secure Accommodation Order) [2021] EWHC 2699 (Fam)
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Wigan BC v Y (Refusal to Authorise Deprivation of Liberty) [2021] EWHC 1982 (Fam)
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Cumbria County Council v AT & Ors [2020] EWHC 3107 (Fam)
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Cumbria County Council v T (Discharge of Intervenors) (Rev 1) [2020] EWFC 58
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Lancashire County Council v G (Unavailability of Secure Accommodation) [2020] EWHC 2828 (Fam)
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Cumbria County Council v AT & Ors [2020] EWHC 3107 (Fam)W (A Child: Leave to Oppose Adoption) [2020] EWCA Civ 16
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B-P (Children: adoption Or Fostering) [2018] EWCA Civ 204
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J (Child Refugees) (Rev 2) [2017] EWFC 44 (Fam)
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X (A Child : No 2) [2017] EWHC 1585 (Fam)
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X (A Child) (No 3) [2017] EWHC 2036 (Fam)
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X (A Child) and Y (A Child) [2016] EWHC 2271 (Fam)
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Derby City Council v SK & Ors [2015] EWFC 57
Appointments
- Head of the Court of Protection team
Professional Associations
- Family Law Bar Association
- Amnesty International
- Northern Circuit
Education
- BA (Hons) History: University of Leeds, 2005.
- MA History: University of Manchester, 2006.
- Graduate Diploma in Law: College of Law, Chester (Distinction), 2007.
- Bar Vocational Course: Manchester Metropolitan University (Very Competent), 2008.
Awards
- Pegasus Scholar 2015 (Middle Temple)
Articles by Michael
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Public and Private law update (Children)
Now we are (at last) gradually coming out of lockdown and can now drink and cavort in and indoor setting…
By: Michael Jones Added in: Family
Posted: 23rd June 2021
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Public law Children: a case law update
Once again as winter sets in we have reached that point where an update of recent case law in the…
By: Michael Jones Added in: Children
Posted: 8th December 2020
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Public Law (Children) Update
In a world where seemingly everything about our daily lives is changing, one of the few elements of continuity is…
By: Michael Jones Added in: Children
Posted: 12th May 2020
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Depriving Children of their Liberty: Re D, Parental Consent, and Section 25
Deprivation of liberty is a subject that has received a great deal of attention over recent years, with the issue…
By: Michael Jones Added in: Children
Posted: 18th December 2019