Practice Areas
Marlene is an award winning, sought-after junior barrister with a specialist practice in children law and in large-scale public inquiries.
Marlene is in demand as a junior in large-scale public and private inquiries. She has been instructed as Counsel to the Inquiry in the Covid 19 Inquiry (focussing on the impact of the pandemic on Children and Young People), the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and the Infected Blood Inquiry. She presently acts for a Core Participant in the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, and assisted Charles Geekie KC in Chelsea Football Club’s 2019 Review of Non-Recent Child Sexual Abuse.
In her children private law work Marlene acts for parents and children in a wide range of 8 Children Act 1989 applications, including those which feature serious allegations of abuse, require a rule 16.4 guardian, relocation, and where special guardianship orders are sought. Marlene has significant experience in international cases where child abduction, jurisdictional complications, cross-border adoption and surrogacy arise (including in the application of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008). Marlene also regularly acts for parents and children involved in Hague Convention applications.
In her children public law work Marlene represents parents, children and Local Authorities in Children Act 1989 Part IV and V applications, including those with serious allegations of abuse, neglect, fictitious or induced injury, and child sexual abuse and exploitation. She regularly represents parties involved in adoption applications and challenges.
