Background
New Court Chambers -
Barristers

Sam Wallace

Call: 2004

“Clients feels very confident with Sam and are confident that their case has been put to the court with great effect. He has a great understanding of the law and is an excellent advocate.”


Chambers & Partners 2026

Sam Wallace is a specialist family practitioner, who focuses on both public and private law children work, where he has expertise and experience in acting for local authorities, parents, children and other family members.

He is regularly instructed in complex cases involving, among other things:

  • Serious cases of inflicted injury to children, including child death, multiple fractures and non-accidental head injury, and sexual abuse.
  • Cases of alleged fabricated or induced illness.
  • Forced marriage, including cases of alleged honour-based violence.
  • Cases involving allegations of radicalisaiton.
  • Cases involving Female Genital Mutilation (‘FGM’)
  • Complex and intractable contact disputes in private law proceedings, including cases where there are disputed allegations of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, including alleged parental alienation.
  • Cases with an international element, including both Hague and non-Hague child abduction.

Expertise

Sam has over 20 years of experience acting for local authorities, parents, children (including separately represented children) and other family members in complex care proceedings at every level including in the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

He is regularly instructed in complex cases involving serious allegations of inflicted injury to children, including child death, multiple fractures and non-accidental head injury, and sexual abuse, cases involving allegations of fabricated or induced illness and cases with an international element, including allegations of forced marriage, FGM and radicalisation.

Sam is experienced in the cross-examination of vulnerable witnesses, including both children and vulnerable adults, and has completed the Family Law Bar Association Advocacy for the Vulnerable training.

His reported cases include:

  • Re D, E & F (Children) [2025] EWFC 174B)
  • A Borough Council v C & Ors [2025] EWHC 508 (Fam)
  • Re J (Care Plan for Adoption) [2024] EWCA Civ 265
  • Royal Borough of Greenwich v DC, DT & DAS [2019] EWHC 1751
  • Re W (Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage: Fact
  • Finding) [2019] EWHC 2449 (Fam)
  • Re C (A Child) [2016] EWFC B45

Sam has a growing practice representing both parents and children in international child abduction proceedings brought under the 1980 Hague Convention and in non-Convention cases.

Recently reported cases include:

  • Re G (A Child) (Abduction: Poland) [2025] EWHC 2752 (Fam)

Sam regularly represents parents and children (including separately represented children) in private law children disputes, where he has a particular interest in cases with an international element, including those brought under Article 21 of the 1980 Hague Convention, and applications for permission to remove from the jurisdiction.

  • LLB (Hons) Law, London School of Economics
  • Family Law Bar Association

Data Controller

I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a Data Controller for the personal data that I hold and process as a barrister. My registered address is New Court Chambers, Temple, London EC4Y 9BE and my registration number is Z9039704.

Data Collection

All of the information that I hold about you is provided to or gathered by us in the course of your case and/or proceedings. I will tell you why I need the information and how I will use it.

Lawful Basis for processing your information

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires all organisations / individuals that process personal data to have a Lawful Basis for doing so. The Lawful Bases identified in the GDPR are:

  • Consent of the data subject
  • Performance of a contract with the data subject or to take steps to enter into a contract
  • Compliance with a legal obligation
  • To protect the vital interests of a data subject or another person
  • Performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.
  • The legitimate interests of ourselves, or a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests, rights or freedoms of the data subject.

Examples of legitimate interests include:

  • Where the data subject is a client or in the service of the controller;
  • Transmission within a group of undertakings for internal administrative purposes;
  • Processing necessary to ensure network and information security, including preventing unauthorised access;
  • Processing for direct marketing purposes, or to prevent fraud; and
  • Reporting possible criminal acts or threats to public security.

My Lawful Basis is:

  • Your consent
  • To protect the vital interests of a data subject or another person
  • Compliance with a legal obligation

My Legitimate Interest is:

  • You are a client
  • The processing is necessary for administering justice
  • The processing is necessary in relation to legal proceedings, for obtaining legal advice, or otherwise for establishing, exercising or defending legal rights

I use your information to:

  • Provide legal advice and representation
  • Communicate with you about services, updates and events

I do not use automated decision-making in the processing of your personal data.

I collect and process both personal data and special categories of personal data as defined in the GDPR. This includes:

Client data

  • Name;
  • Email;
  • Phone number;
  • Address;
  • Date of birth;
  • Location details;
  • Medical history and current medical health;
  • Criminal convictions;
  • Social work involvement;
  • Ethnic origin;
  • Religious background.

I may share your personal data with:

  • Instructing solicitors;
  • Pupil or mini pupil, under my training;
  • Opposing Counsel, for the purposes of resolving the case;
  • My Chambers management and staff who provide administrative services;
  • My regulator or legal advisors in the event of a dispute or other legal matter;
  • Law enforcement officials, government authorities, or other third parties to meet our legal obligations;
  • Any other party where I ask you and your consent to the sharing.

Transfers to third countries and international organisations

I store some of my case files on OneDrive which is a cloud hosted environment based in the US.

OneDrive relies upon a variety of legal mechanisms for its international transfer of personal data from the EU to the United States. OneDrive is certified under the EU-US and Swiss US Privacy Shield Programs regarding the collection, use and retention of personal data and its transfer from the EU and Switzerland to the United States.

In addition to the Privacy Shield, OneDrive also provides strong contractual guarantees around the privacy of its services and relies on the EU Model Contract Clauses to cover its international transfers of data.

I am satisfied that such transferred data is fully protected and safeguarded as required by the General Data Protection Regulation.

Retention of data

I retain your personal data while you remain a client unless you ask me to delete it.

My Retention and Disposal Policy (copy available on request) details how long I hold data for and how I dispose of it when it no longer needs to be held. I will delete or anonymise your information at your request unless:

  • There is an unresolved issue, such as claim or dispute;
  • I am legally required to; or
  • There are overriding legitimate business interests, including but not limited to fraud prevention, protecting customers’ safety and security and any processing that is necessary in relation to legal proceedings, for obtaining legal advice, or otherwise for establishing, exercising or defending legal rights

Your Rights

The General Data Protection Regulation gives you specific rights around your personal data. For example, you have to be informed about the information I hold and what I use it for, you can ask for a copy of the personal information I hold about you, you can ask us to correct any inaccuracies with the personal data I hold, you can ask us to stop sending you direct mail, or emails, or in some circumstances ask us to stop processing your details. Finally, if I do something irregular or improper with your personal data you can seek compensation for any distress you are caused or loss you have incurred. You can find out more information from the ICO’s website https://ico.org.uk/for_the_public/personal_information and this is the organisation that you can complain to if you are unhappy with how I dealt with you.

“Sam's advocacy is insightful, skilled and intelligent. He meticulously develops the most complex points and is ruthless in cross-examination.”

Legal 500 2026

“Sam is calm, precise, erudite and always focused on getting the best result for the client.”

Chambers & Partners 2025

“Sam is a highly polished and thoughtful advocate who always has the ear of the court. His advocacy is second to none, and his case preparation is always meticulous and thorough. He is a highly effective and robust cross-examiner.”

Legal 500 2025

“Always has the ear of the court because he’s fully conversant with his client’s case. He absolutely understands the legal principles and judges listen to him. He has this persuasiveness about him in court, which is amazing to see.”

News & Events

Legal 500 2026

Chambers has once again been ranked as a Leading Set by Legal 500, with 14…
News 2nd October 2025

Chambers & Partners 2023

New Court Chambers is delighted to have been once again ranked in Chambers UK Bar…
News 8th November 2022

Legal 500 2022

We are delighted that Christopher Poole, Giles Bain, Sally Jackson, Andrew Shaw and Sam Wallace…
News 5th October 2021

Chambers & Partners 2021

Chambers is once again delighted to have been ranked as a leading set for Family/Matrimonial…
News 25th October 2020

Legal 500 2021

Chambers is delighted that Giles Bain, Christopher Poole, Andrew Shaw, Sally Jackson and Sam Wallace…
News 2nd October 2020

Chambers & Partners 2020

New Court Chambers has been ranked again by Chambers & Partners as a leading set…
News 12th October 2019

New Court Chambers has forged its reputation on a commitment to provide consistently high standards of advice, representation and clerking services.


An excellent set with talented practitioners.


A set with substantial strength in public and private children law matters, and the further capability to handle financial proceedings.


Well versed in highly sensitive matters involving non-accidental injury, child death, sexual abuse, FGM, fictitious illness and child trafficking.


The barristers at New Court Chambers distinguish themselves from others due to their hands-on handling of cases.


Accreditations


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