David Dabbs, 1962–2025

When I joined Lincoln’s Inn in 2002 everyone I met asked me if I’d met David Dabbs yet. When I did eventually meet him, and saw him teach, I understood what all the fuss was about. When I told my 20 year old daughter that David had died she told me that she was sitting on her bed with Dabbsy Bear. Really hard to believe you are gone Dabbsy. Xx

It’s hard to put into words how much David’s professionalism and friendship have meant to my wife and me over the years. A man of many talents and of exceptional character, he will be deeply missed — but never forgotten.

I enjoyed the years we shared a ground floor room at Goldsmith Chambers looking out over Temple Church. And enjoyed your stories about motorcycling, about yachting (and my children still remember the sailing on The Solent) and your early morning light aircraft flying before coming to work. Happy memories. Can't believe you have gone.

In memory of happy times

In fond memory of David Dabbs Esq, RIP

CUT THE VERBIAGE!! What a headline. Thank you for teaching me all those years ago and thank you teaching me how to teach. My love and thoughts with your family and friends xx

In Memory of David Dabbs.

To remember an old friend.

RIP David

So sorry to learn that my old friend from 2KBW has left us. We lost touch over the years, I but never forgot his friendship, companionship and fun over the years. We enjoyed many good times together in those early days. Sail on safely David.

I met “David Dabbs, D-A-B-B-S” in the students’ common room at Lincoln’s Inn in the first week of Bar School1983. It was the hustings for places on the Students’ Committee. He got elected; I didn’t. And our paths never crossed until the Cumberland Lodge weekend July 1984. It was after the exams and before the results. It was a gloriously sunny weekend. It was in the days of ‘relaxed’ advocacy training weekends and it was great fun. Part of the fun was that David and I became friends from the off. And that fun, and friendship, continued for 41 years. We were pupils together. (It was almost like ‘Brothers in Law’). We shared a flat off the Old Kent Road with a proper sarf London Victorian boozer on corner, and a corner shop that hired out VHS movies and sold ‘Red Stripe’ lager on the other. (It wasn’t as bad as ‘The Young Ones’). He bought a telly with his first brief fee. I bought the VHS recorder with mine. If he was with us now we could both recite the complete dialogue from ‘Bladerunner’ and “Where Eagles Dare” at the drop of a hat. David loved movies. It’s because of him that I call them movies. In my second six I was run over in High Holborn and ended up in hospital where they cut off 1/3 of my 3-piece suit to examine and eventually put a ‘pot’ on my right leg. David came to pick me up from A&E but as he couldn’t unlock my room he brought me a pair of his own grey jogging bottoms to wear. I was 6’1.5” back then, and David … well, you know. As I had been given the next day off by my senior clerk, albeit somewhat begrudgingly, David had the bright idea that there was no need for me to go straight home and made the marvellous suggestion we go off to the pub and then to the cinema. And thus stylishly attired in grey marl elasticated ‘capri’ pants, complete with a pair of crutches, I swanned through central London to see ‘Ghostbusters’ with him. That was still in the early days. He made me laugh so much over the next four decades. And I felt joy on the occasions I was able to make him laugh. We went through the highs and lows that every life has. He was always there for me when it really mattered. And as always we ended up having great fun; (Fair do’s, the 6 months when he put me up in his spare room in the mid 90’s was a bit like ‘Men Behaving Badly). With work, and life, and neither of us managing to get to London as often as we used to, we didn’t see much of each other in the last 5 years or so. But that didn’t matter. We were pals. We were shipmates. We were friends. David was my friend. And I miss him.

In memory of David Dabbs From Geoffrey and Marcia Jaques

It was always a pleasure to be teaching in David's company, he brought great enthusiasm and knowledge with him. He will be dearly missed.

Such a sad loss but a good cause to support

David, Having attended George Hampel's original introduction to 'the method' with you in Gray's Inn in January 1994, I appreciate how much later generations of tutors and advocates owe to your fervent advocacy of this (then) entirely new way of training. For years we all looked up to you as 'the master'. I hesitate to number how many tutors and practitioners owe their advocacy skills to you. Above all, you were a great colleague and friend.

I have very fond memories of David Dabbs as a teacher of an advocacy when I was a pupil - he brought precision and intensity as well as great fun. I recall his performance as a seasoned police officer gently and amusingly dissecting my inapt cross examination. Some years later he taught me to be an advocacy tutor and on occasion I was lucky enough to teach alongside him. His dedication to Lincoln's Inn advocacy tuition - not just in terms of time, but in passion and drive - was and I suspect will remain unmatched.

I must have been one of David's early students/victims on the current course (which I now teach) - in the late 90s at Highgate House. Thank you so much David.

In memory of David Dabbs - a great character who was most generous with his time, effort and support for others

Many years ago, before formal advocacy training for the Bar, David and I would take it in turns to act out the good advocate against the bad advocate before groups of students. On one occasion, the Old Bailey Judge Edward Clarke QC was in the audience. He had not heard that David was playing the bad advocate and Clarke's mutterings could be constrained for only so long before he stood up and loudly declared the plea in mitigation to be appalling example of the art.

David will be much missed.

David, may your memory be a blessing.

David, you are much missed, and had a huge impact on the lives of so many - not least many generations of advocates, and advocacy trainers, including myself. May you rest in peace. I will be there to celebrate your life.

We had so much fun together over the years - David’s death has left a large hole. XX

Ahuge pleasure to be your Hampel partner for so many happy weekends

You were great company and will always be remembered Nick