Martha specialises in Family Law. To her practice she brings finely honed advocacy skills from a successful practice at the criminal bar, an understanding of immigration and asylum law, and a breadth of experience as an international development consultant on gender for UN Women, the United Nations Development Programme, Care International, and the US Agency for International Development, amongst others. Prior to commencing practice, Martha spent four months at the International War Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia where her assignments included issues around gender-based war crimes. As a consultant to the International Bar Association, Martha contributed to the Code of Professional Conduct for Counsel at the International Criminal Court.
Care Proceedings
Martha gained extensive experience in care proceedings as in-house counsel for the Orbis Consortium of Brighton and Hove City Council, East Sussex and West Sussex. She has been instructed on cases involving inflicted injuries, chronic neglect, domestic abuse and coercive control, parental substance misuse and mental health, and international issues. She has also appeared in the Court of Protection.
Private Law/Child Arrangements
Martha has acted on behalf of local authorities intervening in cases involving domestic abuse, parental alienation, and intractable contact disputes.
Achievements, appointments and memberships
- Deputy Judge of the Upper Tribunal, Immigration and Asylum Chamber
- Member of the FLBA and Sussex Bar Mess
- BVC (very competent)
- MA in Gender and Development (Distinction)
- Published articles include “Gendering International Justice: Progress and Pitfalls at the International Criminal Tribunals.” In D. Pankhurst (ed.) Gendered Peace. Women’s Struggles for Post-War Reconciliation and Justice. Routledge, Oxford (2008)
