YEAR OF CALL: 2003

SILK: 2025

 

AREAS OF PRACTICE

Family Law:

Children – Public

Children – Private

Mediation (Family, Financial Remedy, Marriage & Cohabitation)

 

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Law, University of Liverpool (Distinction)

BPTC at BPP, 2003 (Outstanding)

FLBA National Committee Member 2020

FLBA National Committee Member, 2012-2014

Elected Member of The Bar Council, 2012-2014

FLBA National Committee Member 2020-2023

FLBA D and I Sub-Committee Member 2020-2024

 

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS

Member of President of the Family Division Working Group on Experts 2019-2020

Member of Education & Training Sub-Committee, The Bar Council, 2012-2018

Member of the ADR Sub-Committee, The Bar Council 2012-2018

Member of the Social Mobility Sub-Committee, The Bar Council 2012-2018

Registered Pupil Supervisor, 2015

Shakespeare Memorial Scholarship, 2002

Contributor to the Family Law Journal 2020

 

MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS

North Eastern Circuit

Gray’s Inn

FLBA

Bar Pro Bono Unit – active member

 

ABOUT NAOMI

Naomi Madderson KC is a leading family law specialist and Head of Chambers, renowned for her formidable advocacy and tactical expertise in complex public law cases. Appointed King’s Counsel, she is the first female silk in Hull and the first family law silk to be appointed in the region—a landmark achievement reflecting her exceptional legal acumen and influence on the North Eastern Circuit.

With a practice spanning the most serious and high-stakes cases, Naomi regularly appears in the High Court and Court of Appeal, acting for local authorities, parents, and guardians. Her caseload includes non-accidental injury, fabricated or induced illness, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and multi-faceted neglect cases, often involving intricate medical and forensic evidence. She is frequently instructed in cases of the utmost complexity, where her ability to dismantle expert evidence and expose flawed professional practice has been pivotal in shaping outcomes.

Naomi’s track record speaks for itself—she has led juniors in high-profile cases against silks and successfully defended appeals in the High Court and Court of Appeal. Her advocacy influenced legal precedent, with her case F [2021] EWCA Civ 469 setting a benchmark for the treatment of pregnant women in family proceedings, later adopted into the judicial bench book of good practice.

Respected for her strategic litigation skills, Naomi is known for turning cases that seemingly appear without merit or are on the brink of serious repercussions. Whether representing parents against the state, challenging deeply entrenched legal arguments, or securing life-altering decisions for her clients, she is an unflinching advocate in the courtroom yet remains exceptionally grounded and approachable with her clients.

Her leadership extends beyond her own practice—under her stewardship, Chambers continues to uphold a reputation for excellence, producing some of the finest family law practitioners in the region.

 

NOTABLE CASES

HCC v S [2024] (unreported)

Represented the children who had accused their parents of torture, stress positions and consistent beatings that involved family members. The case was culturally sensitive involving Ghanaian nationals and the evidence had been weakened by poor social work practices. The Court was able to find through cross examination of the parents that the allegations were made out and the children were protected.

LCC v H [2024] (unreported)

Successfully defended an appeal before HHJ Weston KC, ensuring a 16-year-old mother retained care of her child despite the local authority’s application for adoption.

HCC v N [2024] (unreported)

Represented an 18-year-old mother accused of causing injuries to her child. If any findings were made against her the outcome was adoption. If none were found then rehabilitation would occur. Successfully mounted a cut-throat defence, utilising the father’s medical records to demonstrate punching as being the likely mechanism. This secured her exoneration and the child’s return home.

BR and Others (Transparency Order: Finding of Fact Hearing) [2023] EWFC 9

A ruling under the transparency pilot scheme allowing accredited journalists to report on private family proceedings. Poole J applied the template Transparency Order from the President’s Guidance, with modifications, for an upcoming fact-finding hearing. The order maintained the protections of Children Act 1989, s.97, ensuring that no published material could identify the child involved.

A Local Authority v AA and Others [2022] EWHC 2321 (Fam)

Acted as junior counsel for the children in care proceedings concerning allegations of serious non-accidental head injuries to his baby. The parents maintained the injuries resulted from a fall from the bed, with the case involving complex medical evidence and the potential impact of a rare medical condition on causation. The court found that the local authority had not met the required standard of proof, allowing the parents to resume the baby’s care on an unsupervised basis.

NELC v B [2022] (unreported)

Led by C Larizadeh KC in a multi-party sexual exploitation case. Successfully appealed findings before Baker J and secured a retrial that rebutted allegations.

NELC v N [2022] unreported

Represented children in a complex baby-shaking case involving 12 fractures and seven expert witnesses. Through strategic cross-examination, secured findings against the perpetrator.

Re F [2021] EWCA Civ 469, an appeal before Lord Justice Jackson and Lady Justice Carr

This was a test case on the legal treatment of pregnant women in family proceedings, which has since been incorporated into judicial best practice

BB(Children) [2021] EWFC 20

An application made on behalf of the father in the High Court which raised the question of the court’s power to dismiss an application and the evidential implications of an application by a Local Authority to seek to withdraw allegations at an interim stage during a fact-finding hearing. The strategic exercise resulted in the mother being exonerated and the child returning home, enabling her to make a Human Rights Act claim and receive a 6 figure sum in damages.

Re S (Fact-Finding) [2020] EWFC 71

In this case, I represented the child leading a junior in an 8-week Fact-Finding Hearing in the High Court, conducted entirely via Zoom. The case concerned two children M (4) and B (2). The parties included the Local Authority, 2 parents and 3 intervenors, namely the children's 3 childminders. All other parties were represented by Silk and Junior. The case turned on the medical issue of whether B, found to have 14 fractures, bruising and two bony injuries to his body was NAI. Six experts were instructed including a raft of treating doctors: Dr Olsen, paediatric radiologist; Dr Fonfé, consultant paediatrician; Dr Robinson, a second consultant paediatrician; Dr Saggar, consultant geneticist, Dr Allgrove, paediatric endocrinologist and Professor Kinsey, consultant haemotologist. Additionally the Local Authority and the Guardian made an application for the judge to recuse himself. B was found to have the AN05 gene variant and the evidence turned on whether the fractures and bruising were genetic in origin. The Court refrained from making any findings against the parents or interveners, concluding instead that the child’s injuries were caused by genetic abnormalities, some of which remain undiagnosed or inadequately understood. These abnormalities rendered the child particularly vulnerable to bruising and fractures from minimal force.

R (on the application of H) v Kingston upon Hull City Council, KS, AS, SS, & FS [2013] EWHC 388 (Admin)

Judicial review of change of care plan/removal of children from their grandparents under an interim care order.

 

TESTIMONIALS

Legal 500, 2025 - Tier 1, Leading Junior  "She is diligent, excellent on her feet and able to stand up to the most difficult judges. A junior with good judgement and a good tactical brain. She does not shy away from giving authoritative but clear and compassionate advice."

Legal 500, 2024  "Naomi is highly intelligent, hard working and very knowledgeable."

Legal 500, 2023 "A hugely talented advocate. She is hard working, determined, always on top of the paperwork and calm and unruffled under pressure."

Legal 500, 2022 "Naomi has a fantastic strategic mind. She has immense energy and resilience, an exceptional eye for detail, and her advocacy is excellent. A silk in the making."

Legal 500,  2021"A very skillful advocate who has the ability to elicit responses to undermine opponent's cases whilst presenting the case of their client. Very knowledgeable on legal argument. A favourite Barrister and highly regarded on the Circuit."

 

Chambers & Partners - "A family law specialist who receives instructions on a number of complex care proceedings, including allegations of sexual abuse and contested placement orders." 

“Naomi Madderson has on numerous occasions provided my clients with a service that is second to none.  She is always very well prepared for hearings and always provides feedback from the hearing at the first available opportunity.”