Suki Johal

Introduction & Contact details

Suki is respected as an expert on matters of family law, particularly in relation to matrimonial finance and child custody.

Suki secured a Middle Temple Harmsworth Law Scholarship in October 1990 for her year at Bar School.

Suki co-founded the Association of Asian Women Lawyers and was its Chair until November 2005 and is now its President.  As part of her organisational duties every year she hosts a Diwali and Eid Dinner and Dance where a distinguished member of the judiciary will attend as a guest speaker. 

In November 2005 she organised an Annual Dinner in aid of motor neurone disease at which Lord Justice Henry Brooke was the Guest Speaker.  Suki managed to persuade a number of companies and restaurants to contribute by way of prizes for a raffle and auction prizes including Sir Richard Branson to donate two Upper Class tickets to Bombay or Delhi, Lufthansa German Airlines provided two Economy tickets anywhere on their worldwide network, Madhus Indian restaurant in Southall, Quillon Indian restaurant in Buckingham Gate and a £250 donation from BMW Cooper Croydon.  The Charity event raised £3,550 and the MND Association have presented Suki with a Certificate of Achievement on behalf of the Association of Asian Women Lawyers.

In June 2002 she attended Her Majesty the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Thanksgiving Service at St Paul’s Cathedral by invitation of Buckingham Palace in recognition of her contribution as an Asian woman to the legal profession. 

Articles

Family Law: The Dowry in Law
This article on Indian dowries was published in the Law Society Gazette in October 1992.  It was written following discussions with District judges in the West Midlands when she undertook her work experience who wanted to know the customary and legal basis for this ancient custom.  She has presented seminars on this subject and  been involved in many cases involve asian ancillary relief cases.

Qualifications

• LLB (Hons)
• Deputy District Judge 

Professional Associations

• Family Law Bar Association

T:   020 7242 2523 (switchboard)
F:   020 7691 1234
E:   suki.johal@hardwicke.co.uk

Family: Breakdown & Finance

Suki’s practice covers the whole range of family law issues, including issues such as:

• matrimonial finance and taxation
• domestic violence
• defended divorces
• questions over validity of marriage
• application of foreign law
• domicile and the presumption of marriage
• full range of ancillary relief cases involving both “big money” and “small money” cases
• freezing Orders
• asian ancillary relief cases including adjudication of third party interests
• pursuant to Tebbutt v. Haynes principles
• determination of beneficial interests of family members
• short marriages involving a spouse from abroad
• actions in the tort of conversion against in-laws pursuant to the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977
• determination of cases involving the application of Sharia Law
• breach of confidentiality
• interim and final hearings in public law

Suki has particular expertise in Asian dowries, both academically and practically and has both lectured and written on the subject area.

Recent Work

• Test cases in the Country Court on the matter of Asian dowries

Relevant Cases

Pazpena de Vire v Pazpena de Vire [2001] 1 FLR 460
Seminal case discussing the presumption of marriage and its validity.

Family: Children

Suki’s practice includes:

• interim and final hearings in both contact and residence disputes (including fact finding adjudication in domestic violence cases, child alienation, applications by third parties such as grandparents for contact and residence)
• adoption including foreign adoptions
• applications for leave to remove children from the jurisdiction (both permanently and for holidays)

Relevant Case

Re M (Leave to Remove Child from Jurisdiction) [1999] 2 FLR 334
Case concerning an application for leave to remove a child permanently from jurisdiction.

Inheritance & Probate

Suki has acted in a number of significant cases in this area ranging from contested wills and disputes relating to the administration of estates to applications under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.  She regularly advises in relation to all contentious and non-contentious aspects of this area.

Suki also advises in cases involving wills compliant with Sharia Law

Trusts

Suki accepts instructions to give advisory and practical work in this area on such matters as:

• issues arising under the Appointment of Trustees Act 1996
• implications of Stack v Dowden in the event of family break down
• apportionment of the family home and marriage assets