Matthew Rees KC

Matthew Rees KC

Called to bar: 
1996 Gray's Inn.
Silk: 2024
01792 464623

Matthew completed his pupillage at Iscoed Chambers and remained there for 7 years.

Since joining Chambers Matthew has forged a strong reputation in all areas of children and family work and regularly receives instructions from Local Authorities, Guardians, Children, the Official Solicitor, and vulnerable adults and parents / family members and intervenors.

Matthew is a highly experienced and knowledgeable advocate who has an established a strong reputation for his excellent forensic preparation and cross examination and his pragmatic and tactical approach to his instructions.

Matthew has been approved as Panel Advocate for the Welsh Government since August 2017.

Practice areas

Family law

Public Law Proceedings

Care proceedings and adoption

Matthew has substantial experience in acting for all parties involved in care, adoption (including revocation) proceedings and special guardianship.

Matthew appears before all levels of tribunal including the Court of Appeal and regularly undertakes complex matters without the benefit of Leading Counsel.

Matthew has a detailed knowledge of the legal and social care issues relating to local authority planning and decision making for children. Matthew undertakes a significant amount of work for the largest Local Authorities in Wales and has gained the confidence of the many Heads of Service.

Matthew has experience in the following areas:

  • Serious physical injury including non accidental head injury
  • Sexual abuse
  • Fabricated and induced illness (FII)
  • Reporting restriction orders (RRO)
  • Injunctive relief  under the inherent jurisdiction
  • Disclosure and public interest immunity (PII) issues relating to children including joint hearings in the Crown Court
  • Radicalisation
  • Applications under Brussels II Revised / Hague Convention

Court of Protection/Best Interests Decisions

Matthew’s practice spans the full range of mental capacity law and the interface between the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Matthew has been recently been instructed on behalf of CAFCAS Cymru in respect of a matter concerning the withdrawal of treatment to a 6 month old child.

Recommendations

Matthew has been regularly recognised in ‘The Legal 500’.

Notable cases:

Awards

  • Lord Justice Holker scholarship Gray’s Inn

Seminars and lectures

Matthew regularly provides training for local authority lawyers and social workers and lectures in chambers seminars. In the recent past he has spoken on topics such as local authority decision making, local authority accommodation, threshold and fact finding, special guardianship orders and revocation of adoption orders.

Memberships 
  • Family Law Bar Association
  • South West Wales Local Family Justice Board
  • Wales and Chester Circuit
Education 
  • LLB (Hons)