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Jennifer Youngs | 42BR Barristers

Jennifer Youngs

Call 2016
Telephone 0207 831 0222 | Email [email protected]

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Jennifer Youngs

Call 2016
Telephone 0207 831 0222 | Email [email protected]

Profile Privacy Notice vCard

Jennifer joined 42BR Barristers in 2017 on completion of pupillage in chambers and quickly developed a wide range of experience in both civil and family law. She has since built a thriving practice spanning all areas of the law as it relates to children, with a balance of public and private law instruction. 

Prior to commencing her career at the Bar, Jennifer worked and undertook research in crime, domestic abuse (with a focus on coercive and controlling behavior) and human rights, and she continues to draw upon this experience in her current practice. In 2015 Jennifer worked as an intern with the charity Amicus ALJ, assisting on death penalty trials and appeals in Louisiana (including a successful appeal on intellectual disability to the US Supreme Court). She remains involved in, and an enthusiastic supporter of, their work. 

Family Law

PUBLIC LAW

Jennifer has a well-established practice in public law and she is regularly instructed for local authorities, parents, and children’s guardians within care proceedings, including at lengthy and complex final hearings. She appears as both sole and junior counsel in cases involving serious non-accidental injury, emotional and psychological harm, sexual abuse, neglect, and child sexual and criminal exploitation. Her practice also encompasses applications which arise in those or connected proceedings including forced marriage protection orders, secure accommodation and orders relating to adoption, and is confident in addressing issues of legal and factual complexity. 

Jennifer is commended by colleagues for her sensitive and measured approach to such matters and provides robust advice when required.  

In addition, Jennifer is regularly instructed in matters before the High Court, including those of significant complexity, with an international component and involving proposed deprivations of liberty. She was instructed as junior counsel to Damian Woodward-Carlton KC in the case of A Local Authority v AG [2020] EWHC 1346 which addressed comprehensively, for the first time, diplomatic immunity as it relates to children and family proceedings when a party has the broad immunity of a diplomatic agent under the Vienna Convention. 

PRIVATE LAW

Jennifer is an experienced advocate in those cases concerning arrangements for children. She is able to quickly familiarise herself with the factual background to each matter, and provide focused advice as required. 

She is instructed by parents and guardians within private law proceedings, recently appearing for a r16.4 Guardian in proceedings before the High Court concerning relocation to a non-Hague Convention jurisdiction. As in her public law practice, Jennifer considers that her experience in acting for all parties to such cases allows her to best represent her client whatever their role in proceedings and is mindful that, for lay parties in particular, the experience of attending a family court can be a challenging one. 

Jennifer regularly represents parties in cases where complex and serious facts are in dispute, and where rigorous challenge to the evidence - including of professional and expert witnesses - is required. She is skilled in presenting legal argument and addressing case with an international dimension (including eg. applications under Article 21 Hague Convention, and as above). Her experience in public law, and knowledge of social work practice, are often highly valuable in the private law context. 

Further, has Jennifer has extensive experience of applications under Family Law Act 1996, and their interaction with cases relating to children. 

NEWS AND ARTICLES

  • Jennifer's article 'Adequacy of reasons and the approach to clarification' has been published by LocalGovernmentLawyer.co.uk.
  • Jennifer Youngs and Vondez Phipps, ‘Drawing the Line: case management and allegations of judicial bias in the family courts’, Family Law Week (22 June 2017)

PUBLICATIONS

  • Youngs, J. ‘Brumfield v Cain: “It took a long time to save a life”’ (2017) 38 Amicus Journal.
  • Youngs, J. ‘Supreme Court Upholds Right of Capital Defendant to a Hearing on His Intellectual Disability Claim’ (2015) 36 Amicus Journal 24-34.
  • Youngs, J. ‘Domestic violence and the criminal law: reconceptualising reform’ (2015) 79(1) Journal of Criminal Law 55-70.

Areas of Expertise

Related News

An Introduction to DOLS

An Introduction to DOLS

Jennifer Youngs and Charmaine Clubb present the third installment of our Junior Family Law Webinar Series.


Published: 16th Jun 2023

Junior Family Law Webinars

Junior Family Law Webinars

Our junior members are pleased to present a series of four webinars, aimed at junior solicitors, covering different areas of family law.


Published: 18th May 2023

London Legal Walk

London Legal Walk

A team of barristers from 42 Bedford Row are walking with the Lord Chief Justice and thousands of lawyers to raise funds for the London Legal Support Trust which funds Law Centres and pro bono agencies in and around London.


Published: 18th Aug 2021

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Awards & Recognition











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