Marcia Hyde

Introduction

Marcia specialises in children work and has almost 30 years’ experience at the family bar. She undertakes both public and private law work.

Marcia’s main practice involves serious & complex child abuse matters including those where there are issues of sexual abuse, non-accidental injury and the death of a child. She acts on behalf of local authorities, parents, children’s guardians and extended family members in such cases at all levels of court. She also has a particular interest in cases relating to contact with children in local authority care.

In private law work Marcia has a particular interest in domestic abuse and especially controlling and coercive behaviours.

She is regularly instructed by the most experienced of family solicitors in London and the Home Counties and has built a reputation for her detailed and thorough preparation, her attention to detail, her acute understanding of complex legal and evidential issues and her robust style of advocacy.

As a highly experienced advocate she offers clear advice to her clients and argues persuasively for them at all levels of court.

Family Law

Selected Cases

Bedford Local Authority v CD & Ors (Rev 1) [2020] EWHC 1996 (Fam). Judgment here.
Tan (a child) (child death: fact finding) [2019] EWFC B78
M (a Child) [2017] EWCA Civ 2445
Re H-T (Children) [2012] EWCA Civ 1215
Re P-B (Contact: Committal) [2009] 2 FLR 66
A Local Authority v J [2008] EWHC 1484 (Fam)
Re T (A Child) [2007] EWHC 455 (Fam)
Re W (Section 34(2) Orders) [2000] 1 FLR 502

Publications

‘Non-recognition of member state orders under Brussels II Art 23’
Co-written by Marcia Hyde and Tim Parker Q.C. published in International Family Law, Issue 3, pp 273-6 (2015). This is the first reported case (2014 EWFC 56) where Brussels II Article 23(a) (public policy) has been successfully argued preventing the recognition of an order made in a Member state.
Marcia is the author of ‘Children: Public Law: procedure and law’ in ‘Family Law in Practice’, City Law School Bar Manual.
‘Domestic abuse, animal abuse: controlling and coercive behaviours’ in Animal Journal, May 2022. The article can be viewed here.

Recent Seminars

'Companion Animals and Domestic Abuse - Controlling and Coercive Behaviours' - you can watch the recording of the webinar here.
‘Child Sexual Abuse: Demystifying the Paediatric Assessment & Aiding the Legal Process’ 2018. Multi-Agency CSA training for Health, Education, Police and Social Care professionals.
2018 Police Disclosure: “You show me yours and I’ll show you mine”.

Animal Welfare Law

Marcia is the Head of the Animal Welfare Group. She has highlighted the links between domestic abuse, child abuse and animal abuse in her work on controlling or coercive behaviours. These links have led Marcia to start to develop her practice into the numerous areas of law which impact on animal welfare. Post Brexit and with the recent passing of the Animal Welfare (Sentience Act) 2022, Marcia believes her extensive work in protecting children and vulnerable adults through a forensic and welfare analysis at all court levels will enable her to continue to develop this group.

Marcia is a member of A-Law.

Publications

‘Domestic abuse, animal abuse: controlling and coercive behaviours’ in Animal Journal, May 2022. The article can be viewed here.

Recent Seminars

'Companion Animals and Domestic Abuse - Controlling and Coercive Behaviours' - you can watch the recording of the webinar here.