Our work covers all areas of family law, with particular expertise in the following areas:
Call: 1993
"Justin Gray is a charming and efficient advocate"
Chambers & Partners 2025
Justin is a children law specialist, covering all aspects of public law proceedings, private disputes including relocation and change of school cases, adoption, special guardianship, medical treatment, and surrogacy.
Ranked in Tier 1 of the Legal 500 for family law for many years, Justin offers a first-class advisory and advocacy service, building on knowledge and experience acquired from practice across the North of England and in London. He provides clear, frank and comprehensive assessments of the prospects for a case, detailed advice as to tactics and evidence, and a tenacious approach in court when called for.
Justin has particular experience and interest in the international movement of children, use of the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court, parental alienation, mental health, capacity and Gillick competence, local authority obligations, and deprivation of liberty.
Justin has a renowned expertise in relation to Anglo-Scottish cross-border issues concerning the placement in Scotland of children, particularly looked after children, and vulnerable adults. He has formulated a number of successful solutions to conflicts arising within the interrelationship of English and Scottish law and regulations, published a number of articles, and on occasions acts as an expert witness on the topic in the Family Court. He regularly receives instructions from all over the jurisdiction on these matters, and has access to a wide range of materials and other resources.
He also undertakes cases concerning mental capacity, vulnerable adults, forced marriage applications, and other Court of Protection welfare cases. Justin also receives instructions in relation to judicial review in children matters, particularly relating to duties of local authorities to provide support and protection.
Justin regularly accepts instructions on a Direct Access basis for suitable cases, particularly private law children matters.
To instruct Justin or for more information…
Call: 020 7353 6961
Email: clerks@harcourtchambers.co.uk
Justin is a children law specialist, covering all aspects of public law proceedings, private disputes including relocation and change of school cases, adoption, special guardianship, medical treatment, and surrogacy. Justin has particular experience in mental health, capacity and Gillick competence, local authority obligations, and deprivation of liberty.
Representing the child on an appeal of a factual determination involving conflicting medical evidence in relation to causation of injuries.
Court of Appeal – successful appeal of findings of sexual abuse based on flawed medical evidence.
Administrative Court (led by Karen Steyn QC) – resisting judicial review of local authority policy as to retention of child protection records.
High Court Family Division – disclosure of public law documents to a foreign entity.
High Court Family Division and Court of Appeal – whether a father should be made aware of the birth of his child born to his wife, the mother seeking adoption.
Proceedings concerning detrimental press coverage that a morbidly obese child was receiving from the world’s media, and subsequently care proceedings in respect of his weight and the continuing press intrusion.
Court of Appeal (led by Eleanor Hamilton QC) – proportionality of response in public law to the level of risk of harm.
High Court Family Division – whether a religious objection of a birth parent can act as a bar to an application to free her child for adoption.
High Court Queen’s Bench Division – Decision of Munby J determining the interrelation of family proceedings with UK immigration controls.
Justin is a children law specialist, covering all aspects of public law proceedings, private disputes including relocation and change of school cases, adoption, special guardianship, medical treatment, and surrogacy. Justin has particular experience in parental alienation.
Representing a father in the second stage of change of school and child arrangements proceedings following serious adverse findings of fact as to domestic abuse that were not accepted, and in the face of a determined Cafcass recommendation of no direct contact; at the outcome hearing the court restored shared child arrangements in an equal footing between both parents.
Representing an adoption agency on application to summarily dismiss an adoption application in spite of conflicting expert evidence.
Court of Appeal – successful appeal of findings of sexual abuse based on flawed medical evidence.
Court of Protection and Medical Treatment
Justin undertakes cases concerning mental capacity, vulnerable adults, forced marriage applications, and other Court of Protection welfare cases. Justin also receives instructions in relation to judicial review in children matters, particularly relating to their support and protection from local authorities.
Decision at tier 3 relating to the placement of a vulnerable adult in Scotland, and whether her habitual residence had changed during the course of long-running proceedings in the Court of Protection.
Justin has particular experience and interest in the international movement of children and use of the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court.
Wardship proceedings to prevent the forced marriage of a teenage girl in a Middle Eastern country, and to successfully procure her return to the UK and have the marriage annulled.
(Led by Nicholas Stonor QC) – decision of the President as to the effect of the residual parental responsibility remaining with natural parents following a Scottish permanence order, where the child is to be adopted in England.
High Court Family Division – acting on behalf of a foreign government seeking the return of a foundling abducted to the UK, and considering the relevance of the country of origin’s concept of welfare to English family proceedings.
Justin regularly accepts instructions on a Direct Access basis for suitable cases, particularly private law children matters.
"Justin’s advocacy is second-to-none. He has a lovely manner with witnesses, and his advocacy style ensures that the right questions are answered, but his non-confrontational way in delivering garners significant favour from the judges."
Legal 500 2025
"Highly experienced and been around a long time. He is incredibly knowledgeable and very good with the judges." "He is very good with clients and has quite a good academic rigour about him." "He demonstrates excellent advocacy skills, including cross-examination"
Chambers & Partners 2024
"An extremely talented advocate"
Legal 500 2024
"Justin is very effective before the court"
Chambers UK 2023
"Justin is intellectually rigorous, and his advocacy is measured, fearless and persuasive."
Legal 500 2023
"Justin is extremely approachable, thorough and highly knowledgeable, and provides robust advice and assurances throughout cases." "He is a very well-respected senior junior with a reputation for meticulous preparation and robust advocacy."
Chambers & Partners 2022
We are delighted to welcome Justin Gray as a door tenant at Harcourt Chambers.
A children law specialist with extensive experience in all areas of public and private law…