Jack joined Chambers in August 2018 after successfully completing his pupillage under the supervision of Jonathan Buchan.

He completed a family law pupillage with a specific focus on public and private law children matters.

He accepts instructions in both public and private Children Act proceedings across a range of tribunals from the Family Proceedings Court to the High Court.

In public law cases, Jack regularly represents local authorities, parents, extended family members and children in a wide range of public law cases from the first hearing through to finding of facts and final Hearings. He has recently been instructed on public law cases involving complex issues such as non-accidental injury, sexual abuse, factitious induced illness, physical abuse, and chronic neglect.

Jack has acted for vulnerable individuals with learning difficulties and/or mental health issues alongside intermediaries.

He also undertakes private law cases and has represented parents in cases relating to issues including:

• Implacable hostility to contact
• Parental alienation
• Rape
• Sexual abuse of adults and children
• Domestic abuse
• Controlling and coercive behaviour
• Declaration of parentage
• Relocation
• Change of school
• Change of name

Within private law, Jack frequently represents children via their guardians appointed under R16.4 Family Procedure Rules. He has recently represented children in cases involving the following issues both at finding of facts and final hearings:

• Parental alienation
• Non-accidental injury
• Allegations of physical harm against a parent and children
• Rape
• Sexual abuse of children
• Declarations of non-parentage
• Termination of parental responsibility

Outside of Court Jack regularly assists in developing and delivering training to local authorities focusing on court skills and pre-proceedings process. In 2021, he was asked to develop and deliver training to social workers in each district of Lancashire County Council in relation to the recommendations of the Public Law Working Group report. Lancashire County Council stated, “Jack provided us with excellent training and support in the sessions.”

In May 2021, Jack was asked to be a member of the Lancashire Public Law Working Group Committee established by the Designated Family Judge for Lancashire. The Committee is chaired by HHJ Guite.

In November 2022, Jack was appointed as the Transparency Implementation Group’s Reporting Pilot Liaison for Carlisle. The reporting pilot is a scheme being led by the President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane and Mrs Justice Lieven. The scheme will permit press and legal bloggers to attend court and report on what they have seen and heard during family law proceedings subject to strict conditions of anonymity.

In October 2023, Jack was elected to the national committee of the Family Law Bar Association. His three-year term will begin in January 2024.

Notable Cases

• Representation of a mother in a ten-day finding of fact hearing involving numerous allegations of sexual abuse of children. The case involved children giving evidence following a Re: W hearing. Extensive findings were made following acquittal at a criminal trial. Representation of a client facing accusations of rape and domestic abuse at a finding of fact hearing.
• Representation of a father facing an allegation of sexually abusing his child. The local authority involved in the private law proceedings supported the allegation and recommended supervised contact only. Following the finding of fact hearing including cross-examination of the social worker and the mother, the Court found that father had not sexually abused the child. The Court made a further finding that the mother had influenced the child to repeat materialised disclosures.
• Representation of the child in a private law case involving the termination of the parental responsibility of a man named on the birth certificate of a child despite not being the biological father.
• Representation of the child in a private law case over an eleven-day finding of fact hearing featuring allegations of controlling and coercive behaviour and the sexual abuse of a child.
• Representation of a mother within private law proceedings. Following a finding of fact hearing, extensive findings were made against the father relating to an interest in children being sexually abused and possession of indecent images of children.
• Junior counsel representing a father in care proceedings involving a lengthy fact-finding exercise around fabricated induced illness.

Qualifications

LLB University of Manchester (2:1)

BPTC BPP Manchester (Very Competent)

BPP excellence award scholarship

Areas of expertise

Family Law

Appointments

Lancashire Public Law Working Group Committee

Transparency Implementation Working Group’s Reporting Pilot Liaison for Carlisle

Elected member of the National Committee of the Family Law Bar Association commencing in January 2024.

Quotes

“Thorough, analytical and effective. I regularly instruct solicitors on behalf of children within private and public proceedings. Mr McCabe is a member of counsel, whom I have repeatedly instructed and will continue to do so in the future. Once instructed he is quick to develop an understanding of the issues presented and can produce both a legal and welfare-based risk analysis without delay. Mr McCabe remains in constant communication during and after the hearing with comprehensive notes. If you’re looking for an iron fist in a velvet glove, look no further.”

David Lane – Children’s Guardian

“Mr McCabe has been instructed by me on a number of cases including private law children matters for parents, acting for the child in private law and public law cases and also acting for parents in public law matters. Mr McCabe’s diligence to his work and the client is very re-assuring for an instructing solicitor. Hearings are always followed by a comprehensive update and detailed attendance note. This is especially helpful considering the inability to sit behind counsel on cases following changes to legal aid. Mr McCabe has recently completed a long running and complex private law case for a parent and the commitment to the client shown by counsel throughout the entirety of the case resulted in an excellent conclusion to the case.”

Tom Harrison – PHH Solicitors

“Jack provided us with excellent training and support in the sessions.”

Lancashire County Council – Childcare Legal following regional training for social workers