Lisa McCormick

Practice Overview

Lisa joined 30 Park Place in 2019 after relocating to Cardiff from Leeds.

Lisa has developed a multi-disciplinary practice over the past six years, now predominately representing clients in criminal and family law cases. Lisa continues to welcome instruction in other areas, including employment law and personal injury matters.

In crime, Lisa is experienced in acting for defendants and the Crown Prosecution Service alike in a range of cases, including burglary, drugs conspiracy, fraud, sexual offences, and road traffic offences. She also undertakes quasi-criminal police work, acting in contested applications for Sexual Risk Orders and Gang Injunctions. She acts for the relevant local authority department in cases, including environmental offences, Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and DVPOs.

In family, Lisa is regularly instructed to act for local authorities, parents and children in public and private family law proceedings at all stages of proceedings. She has experience in Court of Protection matters, including challenging unlawful deprivation of liberty orders.

Lisa is qualified to undertake direct access work and welcomes instruction from the public on a case by case basis.

Lisa seeks to ensure that her advocacy style is befitting to the circumstances. She has been commended by instructing solicitors for her tenacity, keen analysis, judgment and thoughtful strategy applied to each of her cases. She cuts through issues with ease and communicates well with other advocates to ensure the interests of her client are promoted.

Lisa is committed to ensuring lay clients understand the often unique and perplexing process they find themselves in and the advice given so that fully informed instructions can be provided. Lisa works hard to build a rapport with behaviourally challenging and vulnerable clients. In doing so, she explores, identifies and resolves the issues in the case with ease and sensitivity, whilst maintaining a professional and, where necessary, robust approach to the case. Lisa is specifically trained to examine vulnerable witnesses.

Notable and Reported cases

• Family Cases

  Reported cases:

  • T (A Child: Care Order: Beyond Parental Control: Deprivation of Liberty: Authority to Administer Medication) [2017] EWFC B1 - Lisa acted for Leeds City Council in this notable case which raised significant questions regarding the discretion of the local authority  to permit the administration of medication to a looked after child without parental consent, the deprivation of a child’s liberty, and limb two of the threshold test (beyond parental control) (www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWFC/OJ/2018/B1.html)

  Notable cases:

  • Re H, 2017 - Lisa acted for grandparents in care proceedings who were seeking to care for their 1-year old grandson in place of placement for adoption proposed by the local authority. The local authority accused the grandparents of being complicit in the malnutrition of their 1-year old grandson. After thorough examination of the medical experts, the Court was satisfied that the grandparents were blameless and in the spirit of W v Neath Port Talbot [2013] EWCA Civ 1227 compelled the local authority to provide a care plan for a supervision order which was duly ordered. The instructing solicitor, Catherine Gaskell commended Lisa for her efforts; “the result Lisa has obtained for these family members is outstanding!”.
  • Re N, 2018 – Lisa was Junior to Ian Skelt acting for the Police in a case concerning the disclosure of highly sensitive information into family proceedings. The case centred around an allegation of forced marriage and honour based violence for which the parents were later successfully prosecuted. The Police made an application to withhold material due to a real risk to life should it be disclosed. Lisa prepared and, at times, presented legal arguments focused on Convention Rights in closed sessions in the High Court. The material remained undisclosed.
  • Re J, 2019 – Lisa acted for an intervenor who sought to re-open a finding of fact having been identified as the sole perpetrator of life-threatening injuries to a 2-year-old child whom she was caring for at the time the injuries were sustained. The intervenor was subject to care proceedings concerning her son at the time.
  • Re S, 2019 – Lisa acted for a local authority in a case concerning a non-accidental injury (broken bones) to an 11-day old baby. Initially there were 7 potential perpetrators which, upon advice, was reduced to 2 (the parents) who both disputed being present at the time of the injury. This case required robust questioning of the expert, the parents and lay witnesses to narrow the timeframe of the injury and a revision of the findings sought by the local authority to ensure the Court was persuaded to make findings regarding location and timing of the injury as well as the possible perpetrators.
  • Re D, 2019 – Lisa acted for a mother in care proceedings who was accused of coaching her children into alleging serious sexual abuse by their father and for physically assaulting one child. Following advice, the mother ultimately put forward her mother as a long-term carer of the children and avoided what would likely have been very serious findings. Lisa called the grandmother as witness and the Court was persuaded that the children should be cared for by the grandmother whilst an assessment was undertaken late on in the proceedings.
• Criminal Cases
  • R v Sharif - Lisa represented a defendant in his three weeklong trial, having been accused of conspiring to pervert the course of justice along with 8 others by identifying and attempting to blackmail jurors to influence the verdict in a manslaughter trial. He was the only defendant to be acquitted.
  • R v Escobar - Lisa represented a defendant accused of sexual assault of his stepdaughter. Lisa’s careful examination of the complainant and thoughtful presentation of the defence case contributed to his acquittal.
  • R v Seaman – appointed as Junior in this case concerning mixed historical and recent sexual abuse against seven victims. Lisa gained a detailed understanding of the Crown’s disclosure process. Such exposure allows her to adopt a hands-on approach to matters of disclosure whether prosecuting or defending.
  • R v Elliott - Lisa represented a defendant who was accused of the importation and supply of Class A drugs and receiving drug money to the value of around £1 million over a two-year period, ultimately securing him a lesser sentence by virtue of a carefully crafted basis of plea.
  • R v Khan - Lisa represented a defendant accused of breaching a restraining order in that he damaged the complainant’s vehicle with golf sticks and made threats with a knife on several occasions. The Crown offered no evidence following the cross examination of the Complainant.
  • Lisa acted as disclosure junior in the Hillsborough case.  

• Family

  Lisa undertakes work in all areas of public and private family law, representing clients at all stages of the proceedings.

  She acts in cases concerning complex factual issues, including non-accidental injuries to children, allegations of domestic violence and sexual abuse against partners and children, forced marriage and honour based violence.  Her background in criminal law makes her a good choice advocate to represent those disputing serious criminal allegations in the family law context. As an experienced trial advocate, she works hard to adapt her cross-examination style to that which is appropriate for both expert and vulnerable witnesses.

• Criminal Law

  Lisa has maintained and developed a criminal practice, now acting for the Crown Prosecution Service and Defendants at all stages of proceedings in the Crown Court. She is a Grade 2 Prosecutor and intends to upgrade this year.

  When it comes to lay persons, be it defendants, witnesses, or victims, Lisa has been recognised by instructing solicitors for her ability to advise and explain simply and effectively, particularly to those who are vulnerable by virtue of a mental health disorder or learning difficulty.

  Generally, Lisa is committed to ensuring each case is analysed carefully to ensure key issues are identified, gaps filled, and a strategy and presentation adopted which is befitting to the feel and evidence of the case.

• Background

  Lisa completed a degree in English Literature at the University of Leeds before completing the Graduate Diploma in Law and undertaking her Bar training in 2013. During her training she ran the Crown Court Department of Jordan’s Solicitors in Leeds. She commenced pupillage later that year, resulting in an offer of tenancy. She is a member of Lincoln’s Inn and has received two scholarships from the Inn over the years. She is a member of the Criminal Bar Association and the Family Bar Association. Previously, Lisa enjoyed being a representative on the Bar Council’s Young Barrister Committee, and the Bar Council’s Wellbeing at the Bar Working Group.

• Education and Qualification
  • Bar Council’s Direct Access Barristers Course (2016)
  • Called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn (2013)
  • Bar Practice and Training Course (2012-13)
  • Graduate Diploma in Law (2011)
  • BA Degree in English Literature (2:1) at the University of Leeds (2006-2009)
• Awards
  • Lincoln’s Inn Pupillage Eastham Scholarship Award (October 2013)
  • Lincoln’s Inn Scholarship Award (October 2011)
  • University of Leeds Scholarship (2006 – 2009)
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