Caroline Shields

Ranked as a Leading Junior in the 2026 edition of The Legal 500 for Court of Protection, Caroline is a busy member of the Court of Protection Team at Park Square Barristers.

“She provides clear and sound advice, and her ability to cross examine witnesses is impressive”

The Legal 500 (2026)

Caroline was the Head of the Court of Protection Team at Park Square Barristers since the relaunch of the team in 2022 until September 2025. She continues to support the team’s development, and will be taking a more active role in pupillage recruitment.

Caroline is an experienced practitioner who practices in mental capacity law in both health and welfare and property and affairs matters.

She is a strong advocate who regularly appears in the High Court, Court of Protection, all Tiers, and the Family Court. She has particular experience in dealing with deprivation of liberty matters which involve young people whose needs are considered under the Inherent Jurisdiction and subsequently transferred to the Court of Protection; and matters involving the interplay of issues arising from the applicability of the Mental Health Act 1983 and Care Act 2014.

Caroline has considerable experience dealing with Forced Marriage cases in the context of vulnerable adults lacking capacity, complementing her experience in this area in relation to children who are subject to wardship and care proceedings.

Caroline’s practice in property and affairs matters in the Court of Protection involves disputes relating to LPAs, deputyship orders and related applications, providing representation for private individuals and local authorities. Her experience in welfare matters, and a background in family law, gives her a valuable insight into the impact of “coercive control” as it relates to financial matters and the difficulties for vulnerable parties in navigating the legal process.

Caroline is published in the Family Law Journal where she discusses medical treatment decisions, and the relationship between diagnoses and assessments of capacity: “A Paternalistic Approach to Capacity: who ‘controls’ when someone may take their own life” [2023] Fam Law 660 June 2023; “Pregnant Women and the Court of Protection” [2024] Fam Law 1483; and contributed to an article by Emily Reed on transparency, “Progress to transparency in the Court of Protection’ [2023] Fam Law 1094.

In respect of the rights of family members and in particular, the rights of parents in family proceedings, Caroline wrote “Where should the stork land: the competing Article 8 rights when a baby is relinquished” [2025] Fam Law 178, which included an analysis of a reported case in which she had appeared in the context of the wider case law. Additionally, Caroline has provided professional online training and in-house training for solicitors.

Clients include individual applicants, including via the Official Solicitor; government departments; and NHS Trusts.

Caroline is a regular speaker at seminar and training events and can provide bespoke training for professional clients.

Caroline is respected by judges and colleagues for the quality of her written submissions and case preparation, and is well liked by clients for her robust but sensitive approach. Instructing solicitors appreciate her consistency in communication and willingness to tackle difficult issues.

Caroline has completed the Bar Council’s Vulnerable Witness training, having originally arranged training for family barristers in 2016/2017 when she was the secretary of the North Eastern Circuit FLBA.

Caroline has dual UK/Australian nationality, and completed her undergraduate studies in Sydney before returning to the UK to focus on a legal career. She was called to the bar by the Middle Temple in 2006, commencing pupillage in London shortly after. Since 2009 Caroline has been based in Leeds, and has been a member of chambers since 2010. Caroline was Head of the Court of Protection Team at Park Square Barristers from 2022 to 2025, during which time the team as a whole has provided training and seminars across circuit, involving mental health practitioners and court observers; represented the Court of Protection Bar Association on the committee and at the recent North Eastern pupillage fair; and provided excellent representation country-wide in all aspects of Court of Protection, mental health, and judicial review, proceedings. Caroline is also a pupil supervisor to COP and Family pupils, her recent pupil joining chambers as a tenant in 2023.

"Caroline is a strong and effective advocate with an excellent knowledge of law in the Court of Protection. She has a personable client manner and shines through with her meticulous preparation, guidance and support."

Instructing Solicitor, 2024

"Miss Shields has a manner that immediately puts clients at ease and her advice is clear and comprehensive, considering not only the steps to be taken at that particular time but also the direction a case may take in the future. As I was a relatively newly qualified solicitor at the time I instructed Miss Shields on a complex Non-Accidental Injury, her assistance and guidance for me was also invaluable. No stone was left unturned, and her command of the evidence was remarkable particularly as the papers spanned across several thousand pages by that time also comprising a number of experts."

Solicitor Client

"Miss Shields gave the same care and attention to a standard Case Management Hearing, as she had a multi-day Finding of Fact, and I would have no hesitation in instructing her again. My clients have consistently positive feedback about her representation, informing me that they felt heard, understood, and reassured by her."

Solicitor Client

Ranked as a Leading Junior in the 2026 edition of The Legal 500 for Children Family Law.

“She has been judicially commended for the quality of her written submissions and case preparation, and is well liked by clients for her robust but sensitive approach”

The Legal 500 (2026)

Private Law

Caroline is regularly instructed in private family law matters which seek to resolve disputes between individual parents, wider family members, or vulnerable parties in applications to protect against domestic violence. She has particular expertise in matters of parental alienation; special guardianship applications; and applications for protection under the Family Law Act 1986 &1996, both at short notice and for trial. She has represented respondents and applicant local authorities in applications under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 and Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007.

Caroline represents lay clients and r.16.2 Children’s Guardians, which often involve issues of domestic violence; coercive control; and parental alienation. Caroline also represents children who are competent to provide instructions, aided by her ability to provide sensitive but straightforward advice to vulnerable parties.

Care Proceedings

Caroline began acting for clients in care proceedings in 2008 and acts in complex matters which involve applications under the inherent jurisdiction (for example, in respect of applications for deprivation of liberty (DOL) and recovery of children abroad); forced marriage; FGM; allegations of fabricated illness; historic and recent sexual abuse; child sexual exploitation, neglect, non-accidental injury and significant drug and alcohol abuse; and jurisdictional issues. She represents parents, children (as instructed by CAFCASS), interveners and local authorities, and is experienced in working with vulnerable adults and those affected by disability.

Caroline is a leading junior, representing both lay clients and local authorities. She is adept at martialling the evidence in factually complicated matters which involve large families, multiple representatives and several expert witnesses from differing practice areas. Caroline’s experience of managing cases from beginning to end means she is well placed to advise tactically on the progression of a case, leading to the best outcome for the client. She is knowledgeable about the Resolutions approach to family assessment, and the circumstances most likely to produce an outcome whereby children can safely return to their parents care.

Caroline is a published author in the Family Law Journal discussing the rights of parents in contrast to wider family members in the context of relinquished babies in “Where should the stork land: the competing Article 8 rights when a baby is relinquished” [2025] Fam Law 178 which involved consideration of the case of A Local Authority v MB and others [2024] EWHC 1779 (Fam) in which she appeared on behalf of the local authority. Caroline has also written articles in the Family Law Journal about Deprivation of Liberty as it relates to children and young people; capacity and diagnosis, with an emphasis on the case law relating to anorexia; and transparency within the Court of Protection. Caroline is also an experienced public speaker at seminar and training events and writes articles for chambers’ website.

Caroline has dual UK/Australian nationality, and completed her undergraduate studies in Sydney before returning to the UK to focus on a legal career. She was called to the bar by the Middle Temple in 2006, commencing pupillage in London shortly after. Since 2009 Caroline has been based in Leeds, and has been a member of chambers since 2010, initially practising in Family – Children and Financial Remedies, and since expanding her practice to include Court of Protection and mental health matters. Caroline was Head of the Court of Protection Team at Park Square Barristers from 2022 until September 2025. She is also a pupil supervisor to COP and Family pupils, her recent pupil joining chambers as a tenant in 2023.

Articles

Where should the stork land: the competing Article 8 rights when a baby is relinquished

Solicitor Client

Notable cases

A Local Authority v N – Representing the local authority in care proceedings involving historic allegations of sexual abuse by the father against the elder half-sister of the Child. The sister was a child at the time of the abuse. Father sought direct contact with the Child. Findings were sought in respect of the allegations of historic abuse as they were relevant to the Child’s contact with the father, in particular the future development of contact in circumstances where the Child’s mother struggled significantly with her mental health. The sister was made a party to the proceedings and required an intermediary. I conducted the case management proceedings, as well as providing advice as to the merits of seeking findings, drafting the findings sought and conducted the case at final hearing where findings were made.
A Local Authority v E – Representation of the Father in care proceedings centring on allegations of domestic abuse between parents of twin babies. Both parents were deaf with learning difficulties and required interpreters and intermediaries for the court proceedings, which then resulted in partial relay translation whilst the parents gave evidence.
A Local Authority v M – Representation of a Polish Roma mother in care proceedings involving her three very young children. The local authority alleged significant neglect and domestic violence. The parents suffered from learning difficulties and alleged that they were not appropriately assessed according to their level of need, both intellectually and culturally. Ongoing police involvement during the course of the trial, delaying the proceedings. Both parents had intermediaries and translators. I was instructed for IRH, the ground rules hearing, and for trial.
A Metropolitan District Council v M v F v A v B v C v D & E & F [2019] EWFC 15 – Led junior for father in lengthy final composite hearing before Holman J. There were complex medical issues as to the causation of serious injuries to genital area of child, and difficult issues as to placement of 6 children. This was the second set of proceedings in similar circumstances for the parents, whose elder 4 children were subject to care orders from 2012 to 2015, and whose 6 children came to the attention of the local authority when the eldest daughter was presented at hospital with significant vaginal injuries. She later identified her eldest brother as the perpetrator, but this was denied by him. The court had to determine whether the eldest child was the perpetrator or whether her account could be trusted. Other family members, including the father, were implicated. Significant failings of police and social work procedure and practice featured. A lack of supervision by the parents was alleged. Four Children’s Guardians were involved.
A Local Authority v A – Instructed by a local authority in an application for a Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 to prevent a child from being subjected to an act which could be described as FGM, and for that child to be prevented from being removed from the jurisdiction to prevent the same. The parents were originally from a country where the practice was prevalent, though it had recently been made illegal. The mother had come to the attention of the local authority when she was pregnant as she herself had been “circumcised”. The local authority was concerned that, despite the parents being, in all other ways, caring and competent parents, their beliefs and family structure meant that the child was at risk of FGM, particularly if she left to visit the parents’ homeland.

Notable cases - Appellate Cases

Re B (a child) (residence order: transfer of child to grandmother) [2012] EWCA Civ 858 – Representation of the father in an application made by the paternal grandmother for residence in an intractable contact dispute between the mother against the father and grandmother. The mother appealed the decision of the County Court to transfer residence to the paternal grandmother. The father had previously been subject to domestic violence allegations and the appeal followed a 6-day trial which involved legal argument on the issues of special measures for vulnerable witnesses, and issue estoppel.
A v B (unreported), Court of Appeal, May 2014 – Representation of the applicant mother. Successfully applied for permission to appeal the order of a Recorder in relation to the making of a sole residence order to the father, transferring residence from the mother. Issues of control alleged by the mother, both in relation to her finances and her status as an immigrant. Appeal adjourned by the Court of Appeal on the day of the hearing for mediation upon the parties agreeing to a change in the Recorder’s order. Case subsequently settled.