3PB

Commercial; Public and Regulatory.

Overview

Experienced barrister Peter Jennings' practice is principally civil litigation with an emphasis on professional negligence, professional disciplinary and liability cases, property and commercial disputes.

He also accepts instructions in related areas of public law and has acted as an Inspector for the Department of Trade and Industry in insider dealing cases.

He also has considerable experience of criminal work and acts in proceeds of crime and asset forfeiture cases.

Peter Jennings is an editor and author of Facts and Figures: Professional Negligence Bar Association Tables for the Calculation of Damages, was for some years an author of the Inns of Court School of Law textbook on Civil Litigation and has contributed to legal journals. He teaches advocacy, ethics and human rights for his Inn of Court, the circuit and the Bar Council.

He is a former examiner for the Bar examinations and before coming to the Bar lectured at Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria.

Commercial

Peter has advised on and acted in a wide variety of cases in the corporate and commercial fields and handles cases from all parts of the country and in all courts. Peter is an editor and author of books on damages and civil procedure and has contributed to legal journals. His master's degree is in air law, carriage by sea and marine insurance. He is a member of the Professional Negligence Bar Association.

Peter's experience of commercial and business cases includes the following kinds of work:

• Banking and guarantees
• Agency, from residential estate agents to commission on the purchase of an aircraft
• Carriage of goods
• Sale of goods, ranging from consumer transactions to agricultural equipment
• Work and services, including such areas as domestic interior designers, architects and builders and the development of new dental health products
• Copyright and passing-off
• Business relationships generally, from the development of golf courses in Portugal to the design of private medical insurance policies
• Bankruptcy
• Insurance, including avoidance for non-disclosure
• Mortgages and brokers

Corporate matters

Peter has acted as an Inspector for the Department of Trade and Industry in cases under the Financial Services Act. His experience of corporate work includes:

• Company insolvency
• Winding-up on the petition of a contributory
• Partnership matters, from restaurants to veterinary practices

Professional negligence in the commercial context 

Peter has a special interest in professional negligence and liability. He has broad experience of cases involving the negligence of legal practitioners, both in the conduct of litigation and in handling and advising in property and commercial transactions.

He has acted in cases arising out of underlying matters ranging from criminal injury compensation claims to admiralty proceedings. They include commercial matters such as mortgages and the sale of a private company.

Peter has also handled cases involving the negligence of accountants in the context of tax affairs and company accounts, and has acted in cases concerning other professionals such as insurance brokers and stockbrokers.

Publications and lectures 

Peter is an editor and author of Facts and Figures: Professional Negligence Bar Association Tables for the Calculation of Damages, was for some years an author of the Inns of Court School of Law book on Civil Procedure and has contributed to legal journals. He teaches advocacy, ethics and human rights for his Inn of Court, the circuit and the Bar Council. He is a former examiner for the Bar examinations and before coming to the Bar lectured at Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria.

Indicative cases include:

• Stalham Engineering v Horner [2001] EWCA Civ 1586 (sale of goods)
• Constantinou v Aegon Insurance (UK) Ltd (1997) CA transcript 19.12.97 (insurance)
• Board of Governors of the National Heart and Chest Hospital v Chettle and anor (1997) CA transcript 23.10.97 (costs)
• Lawrence v European Credit Company v anor (1992) Times LR 29.6.92 (insolvency)

Public and Regulatory

Proceeds of crime and asset forfeiture  
Peter Jennings acts in proceeds of crime and asset forfeiture cases. He has experience of:

• Cash seizure cases both under the new Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and under the previous legislation
• Applications for restraint orders and for the variation of restraint orders
• Advising on related questions

Proceeds of crime cases involve the civil as well as the criminal jurisdiction and can give rise to human rights issues. Peter is familiar with all of these areas. He has a principally civil practice and has written on civil litigation. He has experience of criminal work generally, both prosecuting and defending, is a member of the Criminal Bar Association and has acted as an Inspector for the Department of Trade and Industry in insider dealing cases. He is an instructor in human rights for the Bar Council, the Criminal Bar Association and the Circuit.

Regulatory compliance  
Professional regulation and disciplinary matters 
Peter has experience in the area of professional disciplinary and liability cases in the clinical and legal context and has held appointments as an Inspector for the Department of Trade and Industry in financial services matters. He also has experience of assocated professional negligence litigation.

In clinical cases he has acted in disciplinary matters:

• before the professional conduct committee
• in internal proceedings before the health service authorities
• before employment tribunals

Other areas of public law 

Peter has acted, both for individuals and for public authorities, in the fields of:

• Food safety
• Licensing
• Trading standards

He has also dealt with other public law areas such as Election law.

Year of call 1972

Criminal Bar Association Professional Negligence Bar Association (PNBA) Western Circuit

MA Cantab, LLM London McMahon Student of St John's College, Cambridge