Matthew Brookes-Baker

Matthew is instructed on behalf of parents, Local Authorities, Children’s Guardians, interveners and prospective adopters. He has extensive experience in dealing with complex and difficult cases and fact finding hearings which involve:

• Infant head injury caused by shaking and other forms of serious/fatal non-accidental injury.
• Complex medical evidence and underlying conditions such as hEDS, cEDS and other genetic anomalies.
• Serious sexual abuse of both children and adults.
• Domestic violence including Murder.
• Accusations of FII.
• Mental health issues – bi-polar, psychiatric illness, personality disorders.
• Specific issue cases concerning multi-cultural families.
• Abduction and removal of children from the jurisdiction.
• Parents with significant learning disabilities.

Notable Public Law Children cases

Application by foster carers to adopt three children subject to care and placement orders.

Fact-finding in care proceedings concerning 9 month-old girl, to consider allegations that the father presented a sexual risk to her.

Appeal by aunt and uncle against making of placement order in relation to 18 month-old child.

Care proceedings, issued following findings of abuse by father. Care orders made with plan to remove children from father’s care, with a view to them being rehabilitated to mother’s care.

Fact-finding in care proceedings concerning, in particular, cause of injury to child.

Matthew Brookes-Baker represented the father accused of injuring his less that one month old baby. The court concluded, notwithstanding the father’s incriminating text messages to the mother, that there was insufficient evidence for the court to find that the injuries were inflicted by one or other of the parents and the local authority application was dismissed.

Mother accused of fabricated and induced illness by covert and chronic insulin maladministration.

Before Lieven J investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged multiple injuries (head injury, multiple fractures), neglect and death of an 11 week old baby.

Appearing before Peel J, on behalf of the Children’s Guardian, in fact-finding hearing investigating the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of a baby.  The case involved a range of complex medical evidence relating to causation and mechanism for injury and death.

Appearing in the Court of Appeal remotely on behalf of the 2^nd Respondent Mother opposing an appeal against a Circuit Judge’s decision to grant permission to a Local Authority to withdraw proceedings where findings of fact on an alleged NAI had been sought. The appeal was allowed and the matter was remitted for the fact finding hearing to take place.

Successfully obtained a costs order against a Local Authority in the Court of Appeal.

Successfully appearing in the Court of Appeal on behalf of the appellant, who had previously acted in person, where final care and placement orders were set aside and the matter was remitted for another final hearing before Keehan J.

Acting on behalf of the Children’s Guardian in a successful appeal against the summary dismissal of Care Proceedings by a Circuit Judge which involved allegations of NAI.

Acting on behalf of the Children’s Guardian in the first Court Appeal decision on the issue of Post-Adoption contact since the insertion of section 51A and 51B of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 by the Children and Families Act 2014.

Care proceedings in the High Court involving allegations of FII and issues relating to underlying medical conditions to include hEDS and cEDS. Matthew was led by Aidan Vine QC from Chambers in representing the mother. Following the conclusion of the Fact Finding hearing the Local Authority accepted that they could not prove threshold and the case was dismissed by Keehan J.

Care proceedings involving life threatening head injuries to a baby sustained through shaking. Matthew represented the Children’s Guardian in this case which involved complex medical evidence surrounding the causation and mechanism for the injury.