“Absolutely excellent and incredibly clever. One of the best cross-examiners at the Bar.”
Chambers & Partners
Bridget was named “Barrister of the Year” at The Lawyer awards in 2015.
experience & expertise
Drawing on her previous career as a forensic psychologist Bridget has developed a specialist practice at the interface of policing and mental health law. That she sits as an Assistant Coroner and edits both the Inquest Law Reports and the UK Inquest Law Blog gives her a rounded and detailed perspective on Coronial investigations making her sought after to represent interested persons in inquests and inquiries. She has appeared for police forces and numerous other public bodies in several long running, complex and high profile inquests and inquiries following homicides by psychiatric patients in the community and inquests after deaths in custody or following police contact. Her experience of managing countless heavyweight ‘Article 2’ inquests means she is particularly sought after when public bodies are facing difficult and searching inquiries.
Bridget also has considerable experience of acting as Counsel to the Judge / Coroner in some very high media profile inquests and inquiries. In 2015 she was Counsel to the Coroner for the seven British inquests following the murders of 40 men by Al-Qaeda linked terrorists at the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria (a role which earned her The Lawyer ‘barrister of the year’ award). More recently she acted as Counsel to the Inquest in the Inquests of the 11 men killed as a result of the Shoreham Aircrash and the Inquest following the murder of Katie Locke.
Bridget’s experience is called upon to provide operational advice to police forces on the Mental Capacity and Mental Health Act and she also advises and represents police forces in civil claims following detention under s.135 and s.136 MHA.
As an experienced lecturer Bridget regularly provides training for police personnel (and most recently for the IPCC and the Police Superintendents’ Panel of Friends) on relevant aspects of inquests and inquiries and in respect of mental health law and policing.
directory comments
“Bridget is a powerhouse. She is so committed to her clients, the commitment and expertise shine through her advice and her.”
The Legal 500 2025
“Bridget is a tour de force in the coroner world. She is the go-to guru for advice on difficult coronial issues and simply the best as counsel to the inquest.”
The Legal 500 2025
“Bridget is a go-to counsel for difficult and complex welfare matters. Her understanding of complex and developing areas of law is second to none, and she can assimilate vast quantities of material in a short period.”
The Legal 500 2025
“Bridget has superb ability, speed and interpretation of the law.”
Chambers & Partners 2025
“Her advocacy is robust and informed.”
Chambers & Partners 2025
“Her technical knowledge is exceptional and her advocacy, both between parties and on her feet, is impressive.”
Chambers & Partners 2025
“Bridget knows the law and is able to manage sensitively emotional and delicate cases.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“Bridget is a formidable and fearless advocate.”
The Legal 500 2024
‘Bridget is extremely experienced and authoritative.’
The Legal 500 2024
“Bridget is hugely experienced and has a no-nonsense approach that is very much valued by clients and instructing solicitors alike.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
‘An exceptional advocate. Her knowledge of coronial process and law is second to none. Hugely impressive in court.’
The Legal 500 2024
“Her knowledge of all things healthcare is truly impressive and reflects the dedication to her work and clients.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“Bridget has exceptional knowledge and experience of coronial law; she is well organised and efficient in her approach.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“She is able to break heart-wrenching material very well; her ability to be sensitive yet forceful was really excellent.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“Bridget Dolan’s support has been excellent in every respect.”
Chambers & Partners 2023
“She has a very entertaining style and is very knowledgeable on the law.”
Chambers & Partners 2023
“Bridget has a tremendous presence in court.”
Chambers & Partners 2023
“She is absolutely formidable in terms of what she can achieve.”
Chambers & Partners 2023
“Bridget is on top of the issues straight away and handles matters with a huge level of sensitivity and care.”
Chambers & Partners 2023
“Bridget’s knowledge of the Court of Protection is second to none. Her written work is outstanding too, she knows the path through any case.”
Chambers & Partners 2023
“Bridget is simply brilliant.”
The Legal 500 2023
“Her knowledge of the relevant case law and legislation is encyclopaedic, and her advocacy is clear, elegant and highly persuasive.”
The Legal 500 2023
“Her knowledge is second to none and she is a brilliant counsel to have on your side.”
The Legal 500 2022
“Her court presence is calm, yet she commands attention. She has a good and quick eye for the salient points of a case.”
The Legal 500 2022
“Very knowledgeable on all aspects of medical law with a practical approach to inquests, and gets the participants working together sensibly”
The Legal 500 2022
“A good combination of approachable and pragmatic, but can be tough when needed”
The Legal 500 2022
“Her level of service and quality of work are of a very high standard.”
Chambers & Partners 2022
“She is brilliant with clients and able to manage them well, even when they are forthright with their views.”
Chambers & Partners 2022
“She is tenacious and does a fantastic job for her clients. She is all over the details and doesn’t miss anything.”
Chambers & Partners 2022
“She is an excellent orator and has an unparalleled ability to perceive novel solutions to difficult circumstances.”
Chambers & Partners 2022
“She has deep sector knowledge and is really easy to work with. She’s extremely good at assimilating immense quantities of information, knowing what the judge will be interested in and identifying how to present a case to a judge.” “She is excellent in court and commands the judges’ attention.”
Chambers & Partners 2021
“She is very sharp, has great analytical skills and is very popular with clients. She’s also a persuasive advocate.”
Chambers & Partners 2021
“The experience of dealing with her is immensely reassuring due to her consummate knowledge of the law, her tactical excellence and her exceptional humanity in dealing with people who are coming to terms with a difficult process, the outcome of which is critical to them.” “Bridget Dolan is an exceptional lawyer who is highly respected in her field. Whilst she is at the top of her game she also has the ability to clearly explain complex issues in a way that everyone can understand.”
Chambers & Partners 2021
‘Is able to assimilate vast quantities of information very quickly and identify the nub of the problem quickly. She notes and discards irrelevancies, concentrating on the things that will matter to the judge.’
The Legal 500 2021
‘One of the best in her field. She offers sensible, clear, professional advice, and is available at very short notice.’
The Legal 500 2021
‘A dedicated advocate with great knowledge.’
The Legal 500 2021
“An absolutely fantastic quality inquests expert. She asks tough questions when you need them and soft ones when you don’t.” “She’s extremely good at coming up with the weird and wonderful to get you out of trouble. She isn’t your usual barrister: she has a mind that works about twice as fast and then the solution that comes out is novel, original, well thought out and legally exceptional.” “She’s sensible, pragmatic and calm and clients love her.”
Chambers & Partners 2020
“Bridget is able to get to the crux of a matter swiftly and succinctly. Her expertise in complex matters in the Court of Protection, particularly with regards to sexual relations, is outstanding. She is accessible, responsive and provides clear and helpful advice.” “She is really down to earth, gets things really quickly and thinks outside the box.” “She’s fantastic on her feet – an excellent advocate.” “She’s extremely client-friendly and is very knowledgeable in this area.” “She is incredibly grounded, down to earth, empathetic and always goes the extra mile.”
Chambers & Partners 2020