Alan Inglis

Areas of Practice 

Family Law 

Alan Inglis is the only Counsel who practices family law in both England and Wales and in Scotland. He is uniquely placed to advise and appear in cross border child abduction cases and financial claims, having the right to appear in both the High Court and in the Scottish Court of Session on behalf of the same client.

He has a particular interest in negligence and human rights claims for and against local authorities for child protection failures and in personal injury claims arising from institutional child abuse. He has published extensively in this area. He has also appeared and advised in judicial reviews concerning children’s rights.

He has wide experience in child protection cases in which he has the advantage of having been a senior practitioner in social work before being called to the Bar. His appearances in this field have involved complex medical and psychiatric evidence.

In addition he has a niche practice in atypical family structures having appeared in the two main reported cases on the role of birth fathers where the child is being brought up by lesbian mothers.

His ancillary relief practice focuses on medium to high wealth cases and those where there are jurisdictional issues between England and Scotland.

In Scotland he has a general civil law practice.

Memberships

Family Law Bar Association

Liberty for Lawyers

Former member of the Bar Council and of its Professional Conduct and Sex Discrimination Committee

Education

BA (Hons), MA, QCSW and Dip Law 

Awards

Joseph Jackson Memorial Prize in Family Law

Publications

“GC v Glasgow City Council: New Hope for Child Abuse Victims” Edin LR Jan 2010 (forthcoming)
“A Muckle Midden: Brussels II bis and the Family Law Act 1986” [2009] Juridical Review 285
“Institutional Child Abuse: Limitation after A v Hoare” Journal of Personal Injury Law Dec 2009
"Personal Injury Claims for Child Protection Failures" SLT [2009] 29 173
"Bairns and Borders: Problems with the Family Law Act 1986" SCOLAG Sept 2009
"Domestic Violence and Financial Provision" [2003] Family Law 181
"We are Family? The Uneasy Relationship between Gay Men, Lesbians and Family Law" [2001] Family Law 830
"We are Family: Inclusive Family Law" [2001] 895

Reported Cases

M v M 2011 Fam LR 24

O v Orkney Island Council [2010] 1 FLR 1449

Re Z (Child Abduction) 2009 Fam LR 162

East Sussex County Council v Stedman and Patten [2009] 2 FLR 852

Publicity - Material in public domain - ECHR Articles 8 and 10.

Re B (Role of Biological father) [2008] 1 FLR 1015

Contact - Donor father - Sibling of one of the civil parents - Principles - Importance of both psychological and biological aspects of family - Purpose of contact

Re D (Contact and Parental Responsibility: Lesbian Mothers and Known Father) [2006] EWHC 2 [2006] 1 FCR 556 (Fam)

Family proceedings - Parental responsibility - Application for Order - Grant of parental responsibility - Lesbian couple finding man to father child - Child living with mother and same sex partner - Whether father should be granted parental responsibility

Re T and A (Children: Risk of Disclosure) [2000] 1 FLR 859

Family proceedings - Conflict of interests - Confidential information

Re R (Recovery Order) [1998] 2 FLR 401

Care - Recovery order - Authorising entry onto premises and use of reasonable force

Re B (Care Proceedings: Issue Estoppel) [1997] 2 All ER 29

Family proceedings - Care proceedings - Local authority seeking to rely on finding of fact made in earlier proceedings

Re A (Adoption: Contact Order) [1993] 2 FLR 645

Adoption - Contact - Uncontested care order

Re W (Justices' Reasons) [1993] 1 FLR 118

Care - Care proceedings - Children Act 1989

Re S (Guardian Ad Litem / Welfare Officer) [1993] 1 FLR 110

Care - Care proceedings - Roles of guardian ad litem and welfare officer