Year of Call
1994Areas of practice
Children law (public), Court of Protection, Mediation, Arbitration, Direct Access
Biography
Kemi has two specialist practices. Firstly, she is a very experienced family lawyer with a particular strength in cases relating to children. She acts in complex public and private law cases, and is highly regarded for the depth of her knowledge in the area as well as her thoughtful and empathetic approach towards her clients.
Kemi is also a qualified Arbitrator and Mediator with a growing practice in civil and commercial arbitration. She is particularly well suited to arbitration, having a calm and patient personality combined with a forensic approach to evidence. Having spent many years as a family law specialist, she is used to dealing with people in high pressure situations and understands the stress, disruption and inconvenience which disputes can cause. She works hard to keep this to a minimum.
Children law (public)
Kemi has practiced in all areas of Children Law since 1995 and represents local authorities, guardians and parents. She is regularly instructed in complex public law cases and is particularly experienced in conducting cases involving non-accidental injury, sexual and physical abuse, serious neglect and mental health issues.
In Re K (Children: Placement Orders) [2020] EWCA (Civ) 1503, Kemi represented a father on a successful appeal against Placement Orders having been made in respect of each of his 3 children.
The High Court trial judge had made damning findings about the credibility of the parents and found that to return the children to the care of the parents would place the children at a high risk of suffering significant harm in the future and throughout their respective minorities. The Court of Appeal considered the well known test and reviewed the case law for making a Placement Order and re-emphasised that the first principles require that the adoption of a child against the parents’ wishes should only be contemplated as a last resort – when all else fails. That was a stringent test and a rigorous and reasoned evaluation of all the realistic options must be carried out before it could be concluded that adoption is necessary and proportionate.
Arbitration
Kemi is a qualified Arbitrator and Mediator specialising in civil and commercial disputes; large or small.
She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and undertakes both paper arbitrations and hearings in an efficient and effective manner. Kemi adopts a very flexible approach in order to minimise the disruption that disputes can cause to people's lives and livelihood. This includes a swift turnaround of paper arbitrations and out of hours hearings at the convenience of the parties.
Kemi has been appointed to the Dispute Appointment Service of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and recently acted as a member of a Review Panel in respect of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. Kemi is also a panel member of the London Court of International Arbitration (the ‘LCIA’).
Kemi has also been confirmed as an arbitrator under the Hunt ADR Low-Cost Arbitration Service, providing businesses with access to cost effective arbitration to resolve business disputes with a value of up to £50,000. This latest initiative from Hunt ADR, the UK’s largest arbitration provider by volume, sits alongside its award winning Travel Arbitration Scheme and its ad-hoc and various scheme operations. All arbitrators have undertaken at least ten published arbitration awards. Kemi says of her appointment ‘I am extremely honoured to be appointed to such an innovative and progressive panel. Hunt ADR provides a world class arbitration service that meets the growing requirement for an efficient and effective forum for the resolution of commercial disputes.’ For further information please email adr@huntadr.com.”
Seminars and publications
Kemi is always willing to provide training to clients, and presented a webinar in June 2021 for the LBLA which was a case update covering recent developments in family law particularly relating to Special Guardianship Orders. Slides are available here.
Instruct
To instruct Kemi please contact Jay Dorton or Stephen Bush.
Education
- Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Memberships
- Family Law Bar Association
- Dispute Appointment Service of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Notable Cases
K and L (Children: Fairness of Hearing) [2023] EWCA Civ 686: An appeal against care orders in which Kemi represented an appellant mother and was successful in arguing that the orders should be set aside and the case remitted to a fresh tribunal.
C, D And E (Care Proceedings: Adequacy of Reasons) [2023] EWCA Civ 334: An appeal against care orders made in respect of 3 children in which Kemi was successful in arguing that the case should be remitted to a fresh tribunal for a new welfare hearing.
K and L (children: care proceedings) Part 2 [2022] EWFC B10: Represented a mother in respect of care proceedings and applications for Forced Marriage Protection Orders for two children, including representation at a lengthy and complex fact finding hearing.
K (Children Placement Orders) [2020] EWCA (Civ) 1503: An appeal on behalf of a father against placement orders which had been made in respect of his three children. The case examined the well known test and case law for making a Placement Order.
K (Children) [2021] EWHC 1409 (Fam): A rehearing of the case above by the President of the Family Division.
LB Harrow -v- MB and others: Representing a client who was alleged to have caused life changing injuries to a newborn baby by shaking it. The client was ordered to undergo therapy and could then rejoin the family.
Kent CC -v- CS and others: Representing a mother in proceedings where it is alleged that she has perpetrated Fabricated or Induced Illness on her children over a long period of time.
E (A Child), Re [2011] EWHC 3453 (Fam): Represented a party in a fact finding hearing where she was claiming to be the mother of a child who was subsequently found not to be any biological relation.