Menu

Contact

Please contact our clerking team to see how we can help.
Contact us

Rhys is an experienced barrister with a varied practice in family and civil law.

He regularly undertakes public and private family law work and has significant experience of representing Local Authorities, parents, interveners and Children’s Guardians in proceedings up to and including the High Court. He also has a busy practice undertaking financial remedy work together with applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989 and the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996.

Rhys also undertakes a significant amount of work on behalf of UK Governmental Departments and the Welsh Government, with a particular emphasis on human rights, unlawful detention, Equality Act 2010 proceedings, and judicial review. He is currently appointed as a (B) panellist to the Attorney General’s Regional Civil panel and the Welsh Government’s Panel of Approved Counsel.

Rhys regularly acts on behalf of Local Authorities, parents, interveners and Children’s Guardians in Public Law proceedings.

He has significant experience in dealing with cases involving sexual, physical and emotional abuse, severe neglect, domestic violence, substance misuse and non-accidental injuries to a child. He also has significant experience of representing vulnerable parties with learning or mental health difficulties.

 

Rhys is regularly instructed in Private Law proceedings on behalf of parents, extended family members, interveners and Children’s Guardians.

He has significant experience of representing parties in contested issues of contact, residence, specific issue orders, prohibited steps orders and national and international relocation. He also has experience of representing parties in occupation and non-molestation order proceedings pursuant to the Family Law Act 1996.

Rhys regularly appears on behalf of parties and interveners in Financial Remedy proceedings at all stages of proceedings up to and including final hearings. He has experience of cases involving complex issues of third-party interests, non-matrimonial property and non-disclosure.

He has appeared in multi-day preliminary issue hearings and Section 37 Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 applications.

Rhys also has experience of applications brought under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989.

 

Rhys also accepts instructions in proceedings brought under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, including representation of parties up to and including trial and the drafting of statements of case.

He also has experience of proceedings involving concurrent applications pursuant to Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989 and the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996.

Rhys has significant experience in representing Government departments such as the Home Office, the Department of Work of Pensions, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Transport, the Office for National Statistics, the General Register Office, and the Parole Board of England and Wales in proceedings relating to contraventions of the ECHR, the Equality Act 2010, unlawful detention, personal injury and Judicial Review. In 2021, he was appointed to the Attorney General’s Regional Civil (B) Panel, having previously been a (C) panellist since 2018.

Rhys also has experience of representing Welsh Governmental departments and Ministers. He has been appointed to the Welsh Government’s Panel of Approved Counsel (B) since 2017 and is currently instructed by the Welsh Government in the public inquiry into the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rhys undertakes all aspects of personal injury work representing both Claimants and Defendants.

He has significant experience of advisory work and the drafting of statements of case. He has represented parties in fast and multi-track proceedings, including interim applications, costs and case management conferences and trials.

  • UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry (ongoing) – Instructed by the Welsh Government in the inquiry into the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Re M et al. (ongoing) – Instructed to represent the respondent father in public law proceedings involving several children and multiple allegations of incestuous abuse (led by Owen Thomas K.C.).
  • Re M (2024) – Instructed to represent the child in public law proceedings involving allegations of non-accidental injury including multiple fractures and bruising.
  • Re J, R & G (2023 – 2024) – Instructed to represent the children in complex private law proceedings concerning multiple linked families and several cross-applications (led by Owen Thomas K.C.).
  • Re H (2023 – 2024) – Instructed to represent the respondent mother in complex High Court proceedings in which the child was conceived via sperm donation (led by Owen Thomas K.C.).
  • Re M (2021) – Instructed to represent a mother in High Court proceedings concerning whether a disabled child should receive a Covid-19 vaccination.
  • Re C (2018) – Instructed to represent the Welsh Minister for Children, Older People and Social Care in Deprivation of Liberty proceedings before the High Court.
  • Re J (2017) – Instructed to represent the respondent mother (who was herself a child) in public law proceedings in which she sought to challenge a proposed placement with the child’s paternal grandparents (led by Paul Hopkins K.C.).
  • The Secretary of State v. MAB [2015] UKUT 435 (IAC) – Upper Tribunal proceedings concerning the phrase “unduly harsh” in paragraph 399 of the Immigration Rules in the context of deportation.
  • Legal Aid Agency Review Panel (Independent Funding Adjudicator) 2024
  • Attorney General’s Regional Civil Panel (B) 2021
  • Welsh Government’s Panel of Approved Counsel (B) 2017 and re-appointed in 2021
  • Equality and Human Rights Commission Panel of Approved Counsel 2019
  • Cardiff University – LLB (2010)
  • Cardiff University- Bar Professional Training Course (2011)

Please click here to view and download a copy of Rhys Davies’ Privacy Policy.