Charlotte Mitchell-Dunn > Chambers of Sir Geoffrey Cox KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

Charlotte Mitchell-Dunn

Position

Charlotte excels in a wide array of legal disciplines, showcasing her versatility and expertise within Chambers’ areas of practice. Her practice spans regulatory and professional discipline, personal injury, civil law, public inquiries, sports law, and criminal law.
As a Legal Assessor/Adviser for several regulators, including Social Work England, the Health and Care Professions Council, the General Optical Council, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Charlotte provides invaluable guidance on regulatory matters. She is often sought after to represent professionals facing allegations of misconduct or deficient performance.
Charlotte’s involvement in fast-track trials, civil matters, and business crime investigations demonstrates her comprehensive skill set. Over several years she contributed to two high-profile public inquiries, analysing evidence with precision.
In the realm of sports law, Charlotte advises athletes and sports professionals on regulatory issues and civil disputes, and she sits on The Rugby Football Union’s Disciplinary Panel.
Charlotte’s extensive experience in criminal courts, prosecuting and defending cases spanning from serious violence to fraud, has finely tuned her cross-examination skills, which she adeptly applies across other areas of her legal practice.
Charlotte’s expertise recently extended beyond the traditional legal arena when she provided valuable input to ITVX on the legal aspects of their new fictional psychological thriller, Platform 7.
Charlotte is available to clients through direct access instructions, offering streamlined access to her expertise.

Regulatory and Disciplinary

With extensive experience in healthcare regulation, Charlotte is highly sought after by individuals, regulatory bodies, and professional clients. She has a proven track record of successfully defending numerous doctors facing allegations brought by the GMC before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS). These cases often involve intricate clinical issues and rigorous cross-examination of medical professionals.

Charlotte is frequently engaged early in the disciplinary process, providing comprehensive advice on all stages leading up to the final hearing, including representations at interim order hearings.

Moreover, Charlotte serves as a Legal Assessor/Legal Adviser for several regulators, including Social Work England, the Health and Care Professions Council, the General Optical Council, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This unique role provides her with invaluable insights into achieving the best possible outcomes for her clients.

Charlotte has successfully managed a diverse range of healthcare regulatory cases, tackling issues such as sexual misconduct, dishonesty, and deficiencies in professional performance. Her meticulous preparation consistently earns praise from panels.

Charlotte was also led in the Winterbrook Nursing Home case at Oxford Crown Court, her comprehensive skeleton argument which submitted that the Crown had improperly charged her client under s21 of the CJCA 2015, resulted in the Crown offering no evidence on all of the 10 counts of Care Provider ill treatment/ neglect.

Civil

Charlotte is regularly instructed a diverse range of civil matters, including personal injury, credit hire, and road traffic accidents.

She is frequently sought after by both Claimants and Defendants to represent them in various proceedings such as application hearings, MOJ Stage 3 hearings, small claims trials, and fast-track trials.

Charlotte’s expertise extends to advising on quantum, providing guidance on liability and causation, and drafting pleadings, showcasing her comprehensive understanding of civil proceedings.

Inquests and Inquiries

Over a six-year period, Charlotte regularly assisted a Tier 1 Business Crime department in analysing evidence for two high-profile public inquiries on behalf of an international PLC and a well-known UK company.

Her expertise and dedication were valuable assets during these investigations, showcasing her ability to handle complex matters effectively. Charlotte’s consistent involvement in these cases demonstrates her reputation as a reliable legal advisor on public inquiry matters.

Media Entertainment and Sports

Charlotte was appointed as a Panel Member on the Rugby Football Union Independent Judiciary in 2020, reflecting her expertise in sports law.

She prosecutes a wide range of complex cases on behalf of sports governing bodies, including England Boxing, and has extensive experience presenting cases before Sports Resolutions.

Before independent practice at the bar, Charlotte served as the Discipline Case Manager at the Rugby Football Union (RFU), where she managed and presented complex disciplinary and safeguarding cases.

Charlotte is frequently sought after by athletes for her guidance on sports regulatory issues and other civil disputes, showcasing her versatility and expertise in legal matters outside of sports law.

Recently, Charlotte provided legal advice to ITVX on fictional legal issues within the script of their Psychological thriller Platform 7, highlighting her ability to provide expert legal insight in various contexts.

Crime

Charlotte defends and prosecutes in criminal cases in the Crown, magistrates’ and youth courts. In the Crown Court, Charlotte has represented defendants charged with a wide range of serious offences including serious sexual offences, GBH, fraud and possession with intent to supply.

Charlotte has been led in a number of cases involving children and vulnerable witnesses, including being led in two serious sexual offences trials, one of which involved allegations of sexual activity with four children and a vulnerable adult.

Notable Cases:

Regulatory and Professional Discipline

MC v IO
Successfully defended a doctor before the MPTS against allegations of attempted rape by his wife, who was also a registered doctor. Following a full hearing, the allegations were found not proved, and as a result, no misconduct was found. The case involved deeply personal issues and a significant acrimonious history between the couple..

TRA v HW
Represented the TRA in a case involving multiple allegations of grooming and failures to observe professional boundaries. The Teacher was made the subject of a prohibition order, with no provision for review.

TRA v DMD
Represented the TRA in a case involving allegations of inappropriate use of force or restraint by a primary school teacher in respect of four young pupils. The teacher was made the subject of a prohibition order, with a 3-year review period.

GMC v DP
Defended a doctor before the MPTS accused of breaching the professional standards in respect of prescribing. The doctor accepted various breaches in respect of prescribing remotely to patients, who were overseas, and accepted current impairment. Following submissions on sanction, the doctor received a short 1 month suspension.

HCPC v S (2017)
Represented the HCPC in a complex case involving a social worker who failed to take appropriate action in four cases where service users expressed suicidal ideations, resulting in one fatality. The panel found both misconduct and lack of competence, concluding that the registrant’s fitness to practice was impaired. As a result, the social worker was struck off.

R v C
Oxford Crown Court. Led in the first prosecution of care home abuse under s21 of the CJCA 2015. A skeleton argument which submitted that the Crown had improperly interpreted s21 of the CJCA 2015, resulted in the Crown offering no evidence on all of the 10 counts of Care Provider ill treatment/ neglect. Link to BBC News report on this case.

Sport

JC v Swim England
Represented a coach in an appeal against the decision of Swim England to suspend the coach from coaching. The coach had previously been accused of sexual offences, to which the crown offered no evidence, following a successful Sexsominia defence.

X v The FA
Advised a professional footballer regarding an appeal against a sports arbitration decision concerning a dispute with the player’s agent.

RG v Badminton England
Represented a coach in an appeal against a child protection disciplinary panel decision, which occurred after the police took no further action regarding an indecent image of a child found on the coach’s personal computer. Additionally, the coach accepted breaching the governing body’s suspension order and acknowledged several safeguarding policy breaches. Following a contest hearing before a Sports Resolutions panel, the coach received a 12-month suspension, despite the regulator advocating for permanent removal from the sport.

England Boxing v SB
Represented England Boxing in a significant case involving an amateur boxing coach who worked in Nick Blackwell’s corner during a sparring session. This session occurred while Nick Blackwell’s BBB of C license had been revoked, following his placement in a medically induced coma after a professional fight with Chris Eubank Jr. The sparring session resulted in Nick Blackwell being placed into a second medically induced coma, with severe long-term consequences.As a result of the case, the coach was banned from training and coaching activities for six months. This case not only addressed the immediate consequences but also set a precedent for coaching responsibilities in similar situations.

Crime

R v B
Court of Appeal. Successfully appealed against a sentence imposed for possession of indecent images, resulting in the sentencing being reduced by 9 months

R v A
Oxford Crown Court. Led in a sexual offences case involving four child complainants and one vulnerable adult, who alleged she was penetrated whilst in a diabetic coma

R v NT
Represented a high-profile prisoner who attacked a convicted sex offender while on remand. Link to Daily Mail news article about this case.

 

Memberships

• Legal Adviser for Social Work England, July 2022 to present.
• Legal Assessor for the Health and Care Professions Council – September 2022 to present.
• Legal Adviser for the General Optical Council – August 2023 to present.
• Legal Assessor for the Nursing and Midwifery Council – January 2024 to present.
• Rugby Football Union Independent Judiciary Panel Member – September 2020 to present.
• Sports Resolution Pro Bono Panel Member – September 2018 to present.

Education

LLB (Hons) Cardiff University

Bar Professional Training Course, College of Law