Melanie De Freitas 560x670

Melanie De Freitas

Year of Call: 1995
Email Address: [email protected]
Telephone: 01962 868884

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Clerk Details

  • Clerk Name: Robert Leonard
  • Clerk Telephone: 0330 332 0773
  • Clerk Email: [email protected]

Family

Recent Public Law cases include:

  • Representing mother involving allegations of rape on a 4yr old by a  12 year old (11 day hearing)
  • Physical abuse, neglect and, more recently, factitious illness
  • A case involving serious NAI injuries to a baby. Complex medical issues resulting in numerous medical experts giving conflicting opinions (20 day hearing)
  • Case involving serious neglect and sexual abuse involving disabled parents (26 day hearing)
  • Hearing  involving  a serious factitious illness case heard in the High Court (8 day hearing)
  • Section 38(6) application  representing long term drug/alcohol user (7 day hearing)
  • Represent a mother whose already disabled child suffered acute subdural haemorrhages and the central issues resulting in a finding of fact hearing to decide the range of possibilities on how the injuries were caused.  Complex medical evidence hearing necessary (9 day hearing)
  • G and H (welfare of the children) [2021] EWFC B21 (06 April 2021)
  • OCC v P [2020] EWFC B48 (21 October 2020
  • OCC v P [2020] EWFC B47 (01 June 2020)

Recent Private Law cases involve:

  • Private law residence, contact and removal out of the jurisdiction
  • Involved in cases with particular cultural and religious aspects. An example of such a case involving Kurdistan refugees had a final hearing (12 day hearing)
  • Complex case involved a convicted murderer seeking contact with child in the High Court before Correride J
  • Dealt with child aged 14 in a dispute between parents running for 10 years resulting on complex issues of education, residence and relocation before Paulfey J
  • Instructed by a Pakistani mother dealing with an allegation of serious domestic violence requiring a fact find hearing  and then proceeded to deal with relocation within the UK (5 day hearing)
  • Lecture given on ‘Removal out of Jurisdiction’ after final hearing lasting 4 days in High Court.

 

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