About
Jack specialises in cases about children. He is very experienced in both public and private law and is building experience in cases about legal parenthood and surrogacy. He regularly appears in all levels of the family court and has appeared in the Court of Appeal. He is happy to advise in writing or in conference at any stage of proceedings, including pre-issue.
Jack’s direct style makes him popular with clients and judges alike. He is known for being unafraid of cases involving technical and/or complex legal points. Legal 500 2022 notes Jack as a ‘rising star’: “[Jack] has the best qualities to be found in a family law advocate- High intellect, tenacity, empathy” and that Jack “displays expertise in handling care proceedings, as well as private law cases including surrogacy, alienation, and relocation.”
Experience
Jack Harrison is a specialist in matters relating to children. He increasingly appears in both public and private law cases with serious and complex legal and factual issues, including death and serious injury cases, sexual and physical abuse, forced marriage and fabricated or induced illness (FII). Jack has experience of international cases under both BIIR and the Hague Conventions, and applications concerning legal parenthood such as surrogacy cases. Jack spent the first five years of his career in practice on the Northern Circuit, before joining Coram Chambers in September 2021.
In care and adoption proceedings, Jack represents local authorities, parents, grandparents, and children. He appeared in the recent Court of Appeal case of Re I-A (Revocation of Adoption Orders) [2021] EWCA Civ 1222 about the revocation of Adoption Orders. In private law, Jack represents parents, potential parents, family members and children within the complete sphere of private law. This includes not only applications under Children Act 1989, but also applications to do with legal parenthood under HFEA 2008. Jack recently appeared in the reported surrogacy decision of Re X (Parental Order: Child’s Home) [2021] EWHC 29. He is a popular choice for r.16.4 guardians. He is skilled in dealing with difficult cases, such as relocation or cases involving allegations of parental alienation. He regularly undertakes work for Advocate, the pro bono charity of the bar.
Outside of his practice, Jack regularly gives seminars, training and talks about his areas of expertise, in particular the issue of domestic abuse in private law proceedings. He also is a member of the core group of the Transparency Project.
Practice Areas
Public Law Children
Private Law Children
International
Education and Professional Memberships
LL.B (Hons) in Law, The University of Manchester
LL.M in Health Care Ethics and Law, The University of Manchester
BPP Law School
Northern Circuit
Family Law Bar Association
Resolution
Secretary of the President of the Family Division’s Transparency Implementation Group
Cases
Re I-A (Revocation of Adoption Orders) [2021] EWCA Civ 1222
Re X (Parental Order: Child’s Home) [2021] EWHC 29, linked with Re Z (Care Proceedings: Surrogacy) [2021] EWHC 589
Re B, R & G (A Child) [2022] EWHC 320
Re H (A Child: Adverse findings, restrictions on parental responsibility) [2021] EWFC B91
Re C (A Child) [2021] EWFC B72
