DENISE KILEY KC

CLASS OF 2003

King’s Counsel

I attended Belfast High School from 1996 to 2003. In September 2003, I commenced a law degree at Queen’s University Belfast. Upon graduation in 2007, I undertook the Barrister’s training course at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS), also at Queen’s University. In 2008, I graduated from the IPLS and was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland. After completing the final practical element of training known as “pupillage”, where trainee Barristers shadow an experienced Barrister, I commenced practice as a Barrister in March 2009.

I specialise in public law which is concerned with ensuring that public bodies, such as central and local government, act lawfully, fairly and compatibly with Human Rights. My practice includes Judicial Review, Inquests and Public Inquiries.

In March 2024, I was appointed as one of His Majesty’s King’s Counsel.

A career at the Bar is very rewarding. It can also be demanding, requiring late night and weekend working. My time at Belfast High taught me resilience and the value of hard work. It instilled in me a love of learning true to the school motto: Labor Ipse Voluptas! Those things certainly help in navigating a career at the Bar. I also made life-long friends at Belfast High who are an invaluable support.

I fondly recall my time at Belfast High. I was fortunate to have teachers who were passionate about the subjects they taught and who inspired me. I am very grateful for the teachers who encouraged me to apply to read Law at University. Being a lawyer was not something I had considered until it was suggested to me by my teachers at Belfast High School. They encouraged me to have a go and I am indebted to them as I now have a career that I love.

I am proud to continue to have a connection to the School by serving on its Board of Governors. In that role, I have seen how pupils continue to benefit from the values and ethos which were so formative for me in my time at Belfast High.