James Schofield

James Schofield practices in all areas of children law and in related areas of civil law. He has a particular interest in public and administrative law, human rights, international humanitarian law, the international movement of children, the law of education and disability discrimination.

He has experience of working with families and local authorities to agree appropriate educational provision for children with special educational needs. In those cases where agreement is not possible, he has appeared before the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal on behalf of parents. He has a strong interest in disability discrimination in education. In addition, he has experience in problems relating to school transport issues and disputes over exclusion. He became an accredited tribunal representative of IPSEA (the Independent Panel for Special Education Advice) in September 2004.

He has spoken and written on the subject of autism and the criminal justice system.

He has a strong interest in international human rights law and laws affecting indigenous peoples. He is a citizen of Australia as well as the United Kingdom.

Before coming to the Bar, James worked as a foreign correspondent in Africa, Jerusalem and Beirut.

Education 

BA Hons (Oxon)

MA (Oxon)

Postgraduate Diploma in Law 

Publications

Children Cases Update: Human Rights [2008] Fam Law 1038 and International Family Law 202.

“Who Cares about Children in Need?” Solicitors Journal, 9 November 2007 (co-authored with Rona Epstein): on R (on the application of S) v Sutton London Borough Council [2007] EWCA Civ 790: where a child in custody had accepted an offer of accommodation as a homeless person prior to her release from custody, she was to be regarded as a child who required accommodation on her release for the purpose of the Children Act 1989, s.20

“Autism and the Criminal Justice System” The Magistrate, 7 May 2007 (first published in The Legal Executive magazine)

Non-legal Publications

“Future Imperfect: Israel and the Palestinians” Royal United Services Institute Annual Strategic Review, 2000

“Silent over Africa: Stories of War and Genocide” HarperCollins Australia 1996

Seminars

Developments for the Family Lawyer in Special Educational Needs Law (Coram Chambers, 23rd March 2009)

Non-legal Awards

1995 Logie award for most outstanding achievement in television news