ABOUT
Diogenes Maritime Consultancy
Diogenes Maritime Consultancy provides independent strategic advice on maritime incidents, safety, governance and regulatory risk. Bringing together expertise in law, marine casualty investigation and emergency response, the consultancy helps organisations, insurers, legal teams and maritime professionals navigate complex situations with clarity and confidence.
Founded by a practising barrister specialising in criminal, regulatory and inquest proceedings, Diogenes combines courtroom advocacy with operational maritime experience as a Coastguard Rescue Officer and Search and Rescue On-Scene Coordinator, together with specialist postgraduate qualifications in Marine Accident Investigation, Superyacht Surveying, International Maritime Law and International Arbitration. This unique combination enables advice that is legally robust, operationally informed and grounded in the realities of the maritime environment.
Whether supporting the response to a casualty, reviewing safety systems, investigating serious incidents, preparing expert evidence, advising on regulatory compliance, or delivering specialist training, Diogenes Maritime Consultancy provides practical, evidence-led solutions to complex maritime challenges.
We help clients navigate:
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Legal Advice
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Court Appearances
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Regulatory Investigations
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Criminal proceedings
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Inquests
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Maritime Incidents
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Marine Casualties
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Arbitration & Dispute Resolution
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Safety & Governance
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Emergency Response
Diogenes Maritime Consultancy: Advice that holds water.
Our Team
Chaynee Hodgetts FRSA MMSAR MNI
Chaynee is a barrister whose practice focuses on complex criminal, regulatory, inquest and maritime matters involving scientific, technical and operational evidence.
Her practice sits at the intersection of law, forensic science, maritime investigation and emergency response, with particular interests in expert evidence, marine casualty investigation, maritime crime and regulatory enforcement, and medical and mental health deaths.
She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Marine Accident Investigation, has completed postgraduate study in Superyacht Surveying, and has been awarded a Lloyd’s Maritime Academy Scholarship to undertake a Postgraduate Diploma in International Maritime Law. She has also completed the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Accelerated Route to Membership in International Arbitration, supporting her developing practice in international maritime arbitration.
Before entering academia and the Bar, Chaynee served as a Deck Rating in the Merchant Navy.
She now serves as a Coastguard Rescue Officer with HM Coastguard, is a qualified Search and Rescue On-Scene Coordinator (IAMSAR Vol. III), and is Head of the Maritime Search & Rescue Law course for the Maritime Search & Rescue Council. She is undertaking a PhD by Published Works examining criminal and regulatory frameworks governing maritime and medical investigation and education.
Alongside practice, Chaynee is Honorary Lecturer in Emergency Medical Law at Queen Mary University of London, Honorary Lecturer in Criminal Law and Medical Law at Bangor University, and Subject Lead for Values, Law and Ethics at Chester University Medical School.
She contributed to the fifth edition of Smith, Hogan and Ormerod’s Essentials of Criminal Law (Oxford University Press) and is co-author of the forthcoming Enhancing the Safety and Wellbeing of Persons in Care and Custody (Taylor & Francis).
Chaynee is Direct Access qualified, a Middle Temple Pupil Supervisor, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), Member of the Nautical Institute (MNI), and a member of the British Academy of Forensic Sciences, the Medico-Legal Society, the Maritime Search & Rescue Council, the Criminal Bar Association and the Inquest Lawyers’ Group. She is also a Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Associate Instructor and GoodSAM First Responder.
Chaynee combines legal analysis, scientific understanding and operational experience to advise and represent clients in complex matters where law, evidence and investigation intersect.
Secretary
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