Ryan specialises in public and private children law work. He represents local authorities, parents and children in complex proceedings, including cases involving non-accidental injury, fabricated illness, sexual assaults and child death.
Ryan is ranked in Chambers UK and The Legal 500 and is described by clients as a very skilled advocate, who always pays attention to detail and is very thorough in his case preparation.
He has recently been involved in the re-opening of previous findings, issues in relation to Re G (2022); and the Court determining the cause of death of a child in the absence of a post mortem and evidence of complainant children and vulnerable adults.
Before transferring to the Bar in 2017, Ryan practiced as a solicitor in Bristol. He built his practice as a Solicitor on the back of building strong professional relationships to ensure first class client care. He has continued to work with that ethos at the Bar.
Recent cases include:
- A Local Authority v G and WM (2024) – representation of a local authority at a 15-day fact finding hearing. Allegations of historic and systematic sexual abuse of two third parties.
- A Local Authority v C , C and P (2023) – representation of an intervener at a 20-day fact finding hearing. Allegations of historic sexual abuse and serious domestic violence made against the client.
- A Local Authority v R and S (2023) – representation of a child in a 10-day fact finding hearing. The child had been subject to inflicted rib and leg fractures. The grandparents were joined as interveners but appeared as litigants in person. Findings made against both parents.
- A Local Authority v D and L (2023) – representation of a competent child at a 15-day fact finding hearing. The competent child had made allegations of historic sexual abuse which had been subject to acquittal in the Crown Court and a non finding in previous private law proceedings. Findings made that the sexual abuse did occur as alleged by the competent child.
- A Local Authority v B and B (2023) – representation of a Father at a 17-day fact finding hearing who faced allegations that he had caused the death of his youngest child and had inflicted an injury to his older child.
- A Local Authority v L and B (2022) – representation of a Father within proceedings who faced allegations that he had caused the death of a step child. Linked high profile criminal proceedings.
- A Local Authority v E (2022) – representation of children at a 15-day fact finding hearing. Allegations made against the Mother regarding systematic fabricated and fictitious illness.
- A Local Authority v B (2022) – representation of a Father at a 28-day fact finding hearing. Allegations made against the Mother of extreme induced illness.
Ryan spoke at the Chambers public law seminar in relation to the role of Guardians in fact finding hearings following his published case of A Council v H,B,I, B and S [2023] EWFC 47. He has also recently provided a training session for local authorities on parents with learning difficulties.
