Free Seminar – Public law: Evidential tips and tricks for hair-strand testing and a former surgeon’s guide on how to tackle non-accidental injury cases

This seminar will provide practical guidance and legal insight into key evidential pitfalls in public children law cases. Our speakers will explain how to understand the science behind drug and alcohol hair strand testing to ensure effective challenges can be made. They will also equip practitioners with the knowledge needed to run non-accidental injury cases confidently and keep up to date with recent case law.

This seminar is essential for public law practitioners involved in complex fact-finding and rolled-up final hearings.

Speakers

Stephen Lue, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
Stephen Lue is a specialist family law barrister. His practice covers a wide range of applications including public and private children law, financial remedies in divorce cases, international child abduction work and domestic violence. He also acts in Court of Protection cases. Stephen has been shortlisted for Family Law Junior of the Year at the Family Law Awards 2025. Stephen was shortlisted in the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards 2021 for Barrister of the Year.

Rehab Jaffer, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Rehab is an experienced children law practitioner. She regularly appears in the High Court on Deprivation of Liberty matters, and she has represented parents in the Court of Appeal on public law NAI matters. Her experience representing young and vulnerable victims of human trafficking and modern slavery in asylum and public law claims lends itself well to her trauma informed practice in public children law.

Lorna Cservenka, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Lorna handles children proceedings particularly complex care proceedings with a significant proportion of her work coming from Children’s Guardians or parents accused by social services of abuse. Lorna regularly represents vulnerable clients who have a learning disability, mental health issues and substance misuse issues. Lorna is experienced in representing clients seeking to be joined as a party to care proceedings seeking child arrangements orders, special guardianship orders, or adoption orders.

Dr Maia Love, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Maia is a specialist family law barrister whose focus is public children law, deprivation of liberty applications and appellate hearings. Prior to transferring to the Bar, Maia worked as a doctor for the NHS and specialised as a surgeon. Her medical background gives her a strong advantage in handling complex non-accidental injury cases. She has previous experience in Court of Protection matters involving medical issues. She is regularly instructed by NHS Trusts, who value her practical understanding of hospital systems and operations.

Please note that this seminar is an in person event only.