Spear’s Review

Many of Professor Jo Delahunty KC’s cases involve ‘a high degree of complexity, a high degree of contentiousness [and] a huge amount of data’.

A barrister at 4PB, Delahunty’s practice covers public and private children law. She specialises in cases where there are serious allegations – of domestic abuse, neglect or coercive, controlling behaviour, for example – and often medical evidence to contend with.

‘I tend to be the last in the line when you have exhausted all the more standard remedies and you need to call in the big guns,’ says the eminent silk, who has led on a number of landmark judgments, including one that set the precedent for how courts deal with domestic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour and parental alienation in family law.

Her cases often – but not always – draw media attention. ‘There is quite a significant cohort of families who come before the court who are extremely wealthy indeed, but those are exactly the cases you won’t find reported,’ she tells Spear’s.

Notable cases

• Re Y (Experts and Alienating Behaviour: The Modern Approach) [2026] EWFC 38
• H-N And Others (Children) (Domestic Abuse: Finding of Fact Hearings) (Rev 2) [2021] EWCA Civ 448