5 St Andrews Hill

A specialist barrister in professional discipline, regulatory law, inquests and inquiries.

Dennis is a door tenant at 5SAH and a member of our Professional Discipline and Regulatory Team and the Inquests and Inquiries Team. Dennis also practises in Northern Ireland in both professional discipline and regulatory alongside his broad civil practice. Dennis mainly represents regulated individuals in the medical and healthcare professions.

Dennis is also experienced in inquest work and has been instructed to act for a number of 'interested persons' involved in a Coroner’s inquest. His experience includes advising on witness statements and disclosure. He provides advocacy at pre-inquest reviews and at the inquest itself. Dennis has experience in public inquiries and has acted for a number of witnesses in “troubles” related public inquiries in Northern Ireland.

Dennis was called to the Bar in Northern Ireland in 2016, called to the Bar in Ireland in September 2020, and called to the Bar of England & Wales in November 2020.

Dennis was called to the Bar of NI in 2016, Ireland 2020 and England & Wales in 2016 Dennis is a member of the Government Legal Service (NI) “C” panel. He is also a former Vice Chairman of the Discipline Committee of the Irish Football Association.

Additional Information

Dennis is a qualified mediator. Prior to being called to the Bar he was a solicitor in private practice for almost 14 years. As a solicitor he was recognised in Chambers and Partners as a leading practitioner in claimant personal injury work. He was also recognised for his general litigation work.

Professional Discipline & Regulatory

Dennis specialises in cases concerning fitness to practise and allegations of professional misconduct. He has represented pharmacists, nurses, midwives, social workers, social care workers, physiotherapists, hearing aid dispensers, podiatrists, biomedical scientists, and students, amongst other regulated professionals.

He advises and represents individuals in Fitness to Practise proceedings (whether involving misconduct, health, conviction/caution or lack of competence or clinical failings), at all stages from interim orders, to substantive hearings and appeals; and at review hearings. He is also instructed in relation to the extension of interim orders by the Court.

Dennis also advises in relation to appeals against decisions made by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

He has also been instructed to provide advice to the Professional Standards Authority in relation to potential appeals under section 29 of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002.

Dennis has experience of advising in relation to university fitness to practice proceedings.

He also acts on behalf of regulators in fitness to practice and professional misconduct work to include appearing for regulators at case management discussions, interim order applications and substantive hearings.

Dennis has continued to appear in such matters throughout the Covid-19 pandemic as the various regulators have switched to the use of remote hearings. He has been able to deal with all types of hearing up to and including cases involving allegations of dishonesty/lack of integrity by remote hearing.

Finally, Dennis has significant experience of police misconduct proceedings and he is regularly instructed by the Professional Standards Department of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to advise generally and to present cases against officers in Gross Misconduct and Special Case Hearings.

Inquests & Inquiries

Dennis is also experienced in inquest work and has been instructed to act for a number of 'interested persons' involved in a Coroner’s inquest. His experience includes advising on witness statements and disclosure. He provides advocacy at pre-inquest reviews and at the inquest itself.

His experience across a wide range of practice areas including fitness to practise, medical negligence, personal injury, road traffic accidents, accidents at work, and police law means he is ideally placed to advise and represent those involved in coroner’s inquests.

Dennis is also experienced in public inquiries. He acted for a number of witnesses in “troubles” related public inquiries in Northern Ireland including the Wright, Nelson, and Hamill inquiries.

Association of Regulatory & Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL) Pro Bono Committee of the Bar of NI Young Bar Association Irish Legal History Society