| Anne-Marie Hutchinson OBE | |
|---|---|
UNICEF Child Rights Lawyer |
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| Nationality | British and Irish |
| Known for | Representing women in forced marriage cases, particularly those involving domestic violence. |
| Website | |
| www.dawsoncornwell.com [1] | |
Anne-Marie Hutchinson OBE[1] is an English solicitor, who represents victims and potential victims of forced marriage. She is known for her effective negotiation skills as well as her absolute discretion.
Hutchinson has been honored internationally for her work. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2002 New Years' Honours list "for services to international child abduction and adoption".[1] Currently she is chair of the UK branch of the human rights not-for-profit organizations such as Reunite, a charity that deals with child abductions. In 2010 she was awarded "Outstanding International Woman Lawyer" in recognition of her influence on other women to pursue legal careers.[2] Hutchinson is a speaker and a Governor at Large of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers ("IAML"), a worldwide association of family lawyers who are recognised by their peers as the most experienced and expert family law specialists in their respective countries. Citywealth has included Hutchinson in its list of Leading Lawyers for 2009/10 (Family & Matrimonial - Honours List)[3]
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Hutchinson qualified as a solicitor in 1985 and by 1988, she had become a partner at Beckman & Co solicitors. After completing her collaborative training with one of mediation's founding fathers in 1997, Hutchinson joined Margaret Bennett (1946–2004, founder member of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a Chair of the Hague Task Force on Child Abduction) at the specialist ‘boutique’ family law firm Bennett Solicitors. In 1998 Hutchinson left the partnership with Bennett to join Dawson Cornwell as a head of the Children Department. She has been joined there by her assistant, Helen Kings.
Hutchinson acts in difficult international cases involving children, particularly in international custody disputes, child abduction & adoption. She is a counsellor and collaborative practitioner, accredited by Resolution, a campaigning organization of family lawyers which has successfully campaigned for changes in English law.[1]
Hutchinson's landmark cases include:
"What it does is emphasise for victims that there is relief there for them and they must come forward"[10]