Dominic Bardill

Profile

Dominic Bardill is an experienced criminal and regulatory barrister with a practice focused on serious and complex crime, professional discipline, and public protection, particularly regarding matters of state or executive overreach and procedural irregularities. Dominic is regularly instructed in the Crown Court in cases concerning serious violence and sexual offences, coercive control, and multi-defendant conspiracies. He also acts in regulatory and disciplinary proceedings, police misconduct hearings, and High Court applications relating to protective orders and the Proceeds of Crime (POCA). Dominic accepts both legally aided and privately funded instructions and is also instructed in private prosecutions.

Dominic has acted in a wide range of serious cases, of all types, including multi-count indictments involving rape, controlling and coercive behaviour, and grievous bodily harm. Notable instructions include securing full acquittals in a 13-count indictment involving allegations of multiple incidents of rape and coercive control; acting as led junior in a major EncroChat conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and firearms; and successfully challenging a wrongful guilty plea in a coercive control case, resulting in the client’s release from custody. He has appeared in judicial review proceedings concerning POCA enforcement and police safeguarding interventions and, in an inquest, arising from a national broadcast investigation into neonatal deaths (BBC Panorama). Dominic is particularly adept at working with vulnerable clients and witnesses, including those with neurodivergent profiles and complex mental health needs. Dominic is keenly interested in these areas and their intersectionality with offending and the justice system.

Alongside his defence work, Dominic has taken instruction from statutory and regulatory bodies, including the National Probation Service and the Metropolitan Police, for whom he has also produced extensive advice, some of which has gone on to inform practical policing guidance. Dominic also appears in fitness to practice proceedings for the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Royal College of Nursing, and the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Furthermore, Dominic acts in civil applications for Closure Orders, Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, Stalking Protection Orders, and Criminal Behaviour Orders and has experience securing injunctions in forced marriage and safeguarding cases.

Dominic is known for his commanding courtroom presence and fearless advocacy, combined with a down-to-earth, collaborative approach that immediately puts clients, witnesses, and solicitors at ease. He is regularly sought out for his skill in representing vulnerable clients, particularly those with mental health needs or neurodivergent conditions. He has built a reputation for adapting his style to each individual with empathy, tact, and clarity. Described as a “grafter” and a “fighter,” Dominic is respected for going above and beyond for his clients — thinking creatively, acting decisively, and navigating difficult situations with tenacity, precision, and care.

Dominic has a diverse background, including in theatre and education. Before coming to the bar, Dominic was a Political Adviser in the European Parliament, working with Members, staff, politicians and diplomats, advising on legislative scrutiny, public law, public relations, political strategy and international relations.

With his background in theatre, education, and politics, Dominic brings a uniquely broad skill set to his negotiation, diplomacy, and advocacy work. He can be amiable or disarmingly direct in equal measure as the situation demands, and his negotiation skills are second to none. He often achieves results before cases reach court. Dominic takes a holistic view of his cases, working closely with clients and their families, healthcare providers, or support professionals, as required, to ensure his approach meets the person as well as the problem.

Dominic is valued not only for his persuasive advocacy but also for his ability to relate to others and speak plainly, offering clear, trustworthy, and firm advice while leading with kindness. He communicates across boundaries and divisions, speaks truth to power, and often goes above and beyond in fighting tirelessly for those often overlooked by the system.

Dominic speaks French and is currently learning Brazilian Portuguese.