Inquiry Team
Chair
Ms. O’Flaherty was called to the Bar of Ireland in 1998 and has over twenty-eight years experience as a practising barrister. She further qualified as an accredited Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) mediator in 2007. Ms. O’Flaherty is a versatile advocate who has practised extensively in the areas of healthcare, personal injuries, medical negligence, administrative, human rights and constitutional law. Throughout her career, she has represented many marginalised and vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities.
In 2017, Ms. O’Flaherty was appointed by the Minister for Justice and Equality as a Tribunal member to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT). In 2022, she was appointed by the Minister for Health as a Tribunal Chairperson for Mental Health Tribunals. In September 2023, Ms. O’Flaherty was chosen to sit on the panel of the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) Judicial Experts. In October 2023 Ms. O’Flaherty became a Director of Action Aid Ireland which is an International charity that works with women and girls living in poverty.
Counsel to the Inquiry
Ms. Ferry was called to the Bar of Ireland in 2008 and to the Bar of England and Wales in 2013. She was a practising member of the Law Library of Ireland for twelve years. Her civil law practice focussed on personal injuries and medical negligence litigation.
In January 2020, Ms. Ferry was appointed as Counsel to a statutory inquiry established by the Minister for Justice and Equality under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). Throughout the inquiry process, she played a pivotal role, engaging meaningfully with relevant stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive examination of the issues as defined within the terms of reference.
Ms. Ferry previously volunteered for the Magdalen Commission, Chaired by Judge John Quirke (retired). With her fellow colleagues from the Bar, Ms. Ferry carried out many meetings with vulnerable women who had identified themselves to the Commission at its preliminary stage. Ms. Ferry travelled to locations countrywide to privately and discreetly, hear from women their experiences and encourage a discussion and assessment of those women’s needs.
Alice Maguire-Spencer BL is a practising barrister with a mixed civil and criminal practice, called to the Bar in 2017. Her work spans both civil and criminal hearings in courts and tribunals, from the District Court to the Supreme Court. This includes matters before the Medical Council and the Workplace Relations Commission.
Alongside her practice at the Bar, Ms Maguire-Spencer has significant experience as Documentary Counsel and in large-scale disclosure and document review. She has also worked on major discovery and document analysis projects, including matters involving TikTok and the University of Galway cyber-attack, assessing digital and physical records for relevance, privilege, chronology, and evidential significance.
Ms Maguire-Spencer has built a reputation of having a careful, measured, and detail-focused approach to litigation, combining practical courtroom experience with strong documentary counsel skills in complex and document-heavy matters. Whether acting in her own practice or supporting wider legal teams, she brings clear analysis, thorough preparation, and sound judgment to the management of sensitive material and the presentation of evidence. This combination of advocacy-focused preparation and sophisticated evidence review allows her to contribute effectively across all stages of civil, criminal, and regulatory proceedings.
Ms. Hanratty is a practising barrister called to the Bar of Ireland in 2020. She has a degree in Irish and French Law, and practices in both French and English. Ms. Hanratty is a recipient of the Denham Fellowship, a highly competitive award granted to aspiring barristers from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.
Ms. Hanratty practices in the areas of medical law and negligence, personal injuries, defamation and commercial law. She holds a Certificate in Bioethics: The Law, Medicine and Ethics of Reproductive Technologies and Genetics. Ms. Hanratty frequently represents vulnerable persons and families through her work in personal injuries claims, the Coroner’s Court and in Assisted Decision-Making applications. She has also worked directly with marginalised members of society in her time at the Dublin Free Legal Advice Centre. Ms. Hanratty is currently the Chair of the British & Irish Commercial Bar Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Sub-Committee and is a member of the Medico-Legal Society of Ireland and the Tort & Insurance Bar Association.