Teresa Thornhill
Teresa Thornhill is an author and recently retired child protection lawyer.
Photo credit: Cathy Teesdale
Biography
Teresa Thornhill is a writer and recently retired child protection lawyer. She has written about Palestine, Iraqi Kurdistan, Lebanon and the experiences of Syrian refugees in Greece. She worked for thirty five years in, having worked for 35 years in the Family Court of England and Wales and its predecessor courts. She also spent many years working as an ‘in-house’ child protection lawyer in local authority legal departments. During these periods, Teresa attended case conferences, advised social workers, issued proceedings, and progressed cases through the court system, effectively working in the role of a solicitor.
As a self-employed barrister, she has represented parents, children, grandparents, and local authorities in care proceedings. This varied career has given her a unique insight not only into what goes on in the courts, but also what happens among social workers in local authorities and among their in-house lawyers, long before court proceedings are issued.
Teresa is a published author of three non-fiction titles: Sweet Tea with Cardamom: A Journey through Iraqi Kurdistan; The Curtain Maker of Beirut: Conversations with the Lebanese and Hara Hotel: A Tale of Syrian Refugees in Greece.
Teresa is an avid painter, climate activist and long-distance walker.
Books
Teresa’s latest book, IN HARM’S WAY: THE MEMOIR OF A CHILD PROTECTION LAWYER, was published by HarperCollins in March 2024.
’Our society's biggest moral and economic failure is the way we treat families who are struggling. This book is full of insight and wisdom and I hope it reaches the hearts and minds of those who need to plan the future of our child protection system.’ - Louise Allen, author and campaigner
‘This thought provoking book should be required reading for all involved in the safeguarding of children and young people in England today.’ - Professor Sir Al Aynsley - Green Kt, former first Children’s Commissioner for England and Professor Emeritus, University College London