Joanna Moody

Year of Call: 1998, Lincoln's Inn

Joanna moody
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A Family law specialist for over 20 years in the field of children law, Joanna’s organised and committed approach to her case preparation and her down to earth approach with clients has been recognised by professional and lay clients respectively. 

Within public law proceedings Joanna has represented Local Authorities, parents, relatives and children at all stages of the proceedings, including finding of fact hearings and final hearings. Her experience includes cases involving non-accidental injuries, sexual abuse, factitious and induced illness, neglect, domestic violence, and drug and alcohol misuse.

Joanna’s experience in private law cases has involved her dealing with issues of domestic violence, sexual abuse and emotional harm and has seen her representing parents and children within those proceedings.

Joanna regularly appears in the county court and High Court and has appeared in the Court of Appeal on both public law and private law children matters.

 

Articles

 ‘Age Assessments within care proceedings’  [2023] Fam Law 1069

Notable Cases

  • A Local Authority v A [2023]

    Led by Michael Jones KC representing a father in a lengthy finding of fact hearing involving inter-familial sexual abuse and failure to protect

  • A Local Authority v X & Ors (Need for Finding of Fact Hearing) [2023] EWFC 121

    Led by Michael Jones KC representing the child in a case before MacDonald J where the issue was whether the care proceedings ought to be delayed to await a post-mortem report and whether it was necessary and proportionate for a finding of fact hearing to take place into the death of a child

  • A Local Authority v A [2022]

    Led by Susan Grocott KC, representing the mother in a finding of fact hearing before the President of the Family Division where the child had sustained multiple injuries including an injury to the head.

  • A Local Authority v X [2022] EWHC 3043

    Led by Susan Grocott KC, representing the mother in a finding of fact hearing before Lieven J where the sole issue was the determination of the child’s age

  • A Local Authority v A [2022]

    Led by Samantha Bowcock KC, representing the local authority in a finding of fact hearing involving 3 linked families and allegations of sexual abuse

  • A Local Authority v D [2022]

    Represented a 16 year old in a finding of fact hearing where she had made allegations of sexual abuse against a step-parent.

  • J (A Child) (Resolutions Model)(Rev 1) [2021] EWFC 58

    Represented the child in a case where the child had sustained inflicted injuries and the court endorsed a Resolutions Model in order to rehabilitate the child back to the mother’s care

  • A Local Authority v C [2021]

    Led by Julia Cheetham KC, representing the local authority in a finding of fact hearing and final hearing involving the death of a young child

  • Re C [2021]

    Represented the children in a finding of fact hearing which involved allegations of fabricated illness made against both parents.

  • I-A [2021] EWCA Civ 1222

    Represented the children in the High Court and subsequently the Court of Appeal in a case concerning the court’s powers to revoke an adoption order under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court.

  • MS v RS & Ors [2020] EWFC 30

    Represented the children in a High Court final hearing before Macdonald J on a paternity dispute between the parents and putative father.

  • Re AV (A Child) (Expert Report) [2020] EWCA Civ 346

    Represented the child in High Court proceedings in circumstances where the siblings were killed in a house fire. I appeared before the Court of Appeal on an interim issue as to whether an expert assessment is necessary or not

  • A local authority v B [2020]

    Represented a father in a finding of fact hearing concerning fracture injuries to two children.

  • A v A [2019]

    Represented a mother in private law proceedings concerning issues of where the young children should live, the time to be spent with each parent, the choice of school and the choice of surname.

  • A local authority v B [2019]

    Represented a father in care proceedings who was alleged to have caused a head injury to his baby. The court accepted the parents’ case that this was an accidental injury and the child was returned home.

  • A local authority v A [2019]

    Represented the child in a finding of fact hearing arising out of a shaking injury to a young child. The case involved 5 experts from different disciplines

  • A local authority v C [2019]

    Represented the local authority in care proceedings concerning a mother who had threatened to kill herself and her baby when born. The father was a convicted murderer.

  • A local authority v M (2018)

    Family

    Represented the local authority in an application for a return order before Parker J where the parents had removed the children to Poland.

  • A local authority v A (2018)

    Family

    Represented a grandmother in an SGO application where the mother had been murdered by the father. The case also involved the termination of the father’s parental responsibility and a section 91(14) order until the child reaches 18 years of age

  • A local authority v V 2017

    Children

    Represented the children in proceedings before MacDonald J in circumstances where the father had murdered the mother during proceedings. The case concerned Article 15 considerations and the legal basis for placing the children with extended family members in Hungary.

  • A Local Authority v X (2017)

    Children

    Represented a child in public law proceedings concerning inter sibling sexual abuse before MacDonald J

  • 2016 T v B

    Children

    Represented a child in a finding of fact rehearing concerning issues of sexual abuse of a family member, after the initial findings were overturned by the Court of Appeal

  • 2016 A local authority v B

    Family

    Represented a mother in care proceedings with alleged non-accidental injuries, in particular bilateral fibular fractures

  • 2016 A local authority v W

    Children

    Represented the local authority in public law proceedings concerning extensive bruising to a young child
     

  • 2016 LA v W

    Children

    Represented the child in an application for a FGM protection order before Keehan J.

  • 2016 LA v F

    Family

    Represented the child in care proceedings concerning alleged sexual abuse by a family member.

  • 2015 V v B

    Family

    Represented the child in private law proceedings concerning a contact law application by a mother who was born in the Caribbean but currently resided in Spain. The issues were how to ensure safeguards were in place (by way of The Hague Convention and Brussels II revised) in case of abduction

  • LA v M (2015)

    Family

    Led by Susan Grocott QC representing the mother in a case involving allegations of factitious illness before the President

  • T -v- A [2014]

    Family

    Represented a father at first instance and as a respondent before the Court of Appeal in a case concerning issues of residence and shared residence.

  • LA -v- B [2014]

    Family

    Represented the child in public law proceedings at a first instance final hearing and as a respondent before the Court of Appeal.

  • Re A (Placement Order: Imposition of Conditions on Adoption) [2014] 2 FLR 351

    Children (Public)

    Appeared before Court of Appeal led by Jeremy Weston QC representing the children on an appeal concerning placement orders.

  • A Local Authority v L [2013]

    Children (Public)

    Represented a local authority in a case involving a baby with unusual fractures to both feet.

  • A Local Authority v S [2013]

    Children (Public)

    Represented a foster father in a case concerning fracture injuries sustained by a child in foster care where there were no concerns about his own children.

  • A Local ~Authority v K [2013]

    Children (Public)

    Represented the children in a case involving historic allegations of sexual abuse made by the mother against her father.

  • A Local Authority v J, A Local Authority v A [2012] [2013]

    Children (Public)

    Representation of the children in two different cases where the issue was whether a placement order was in the best interests of a young child with behavioural difficulties.

  • A Local Authority v S [2011]

    Children (Public)

    Represented a local authority in a 16 day finding of fact hearing involving a skull fracture and rib fractures. The case also involved legal argument as to whether the father had capacity to give evidence, and whether a lay witness should give evidence in circumstances where she was threatening to commit suicide if she did.

  • A Local Authority v H [2011]

    Children (Public)

    Represented a young mother with a troubled background in a case involving fractures to the clavicle and skull in a baby

  • A Local Authority v B [2011]

    Children (Public)

    Represented a local authority in a case involving significant physical abuse of the children. The case also concerned the court's approach to disclosures made by children and ABE interviews.

  • Y v Y [2011]

    Children (Private)

    Represented a mother in successfully opposing a special guardianship order in favour of a residence order when all other parties sought a special guardianship order

  • L v L [2011]

    Children (Private)

    Represented a father in a case opposing relocation to the mother's native country.

Professional Associations

  • Family Law Bar Association
  • Child Concern

Education

  • LLB Law with European Law First Class - University of Leeds
  • MA Medical Law and Ethics - University of Manchester

Awards

  • The AHRB Scholarship
  • Sir Thomas More Bursary
  • Hardwicke Scholar
  • Hughes Scholar
  • Eversheds Prize
  • Crabtree Prize
  • Ford & Warren Prize

Articles by Joanna