Webinar Recording: Rethinking Duty of Care - Lessons from the Dennis Case, Ten Years On

Ten years ago, the landmark case of Steve Dennis, which found an NGO legally liable for a failure in duty of care, marked a turning point for our sector. Since then, expectations of boards and senior leaders have only grown, with significant legal and governance developments reshaping the way risk and staff safety must be managed. The Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF) hosted a briefing tailored for trustees, senior executives, and general counsels of NGOs. The session:

Revisited the case that first established clear legal liability for NGOs, with insights from Steve Dennis (Proper Support)
Examined today’s liability risks for NGOs with legal expert Adrian Powell (Proelium Law)
Highlighted priority actions for boards and leadership to strengthen accountability and embed risk management into organisational culture.

Ten years on: learning from the Steve Dennis case

Each year on 19 August, we celebrate World Humanitarian Day, acknowledging the tireless efforts of aid workers to assist crisis-affected communities and remembering those who have tragically lost their lives. This year’s theme is #ItTakesAVillage, recognising the magnitude of the collective effort required to deliver humanitarian assistance. Similarly, collective action is needed within organisations and across the sector to keep aid workers safe. World Humanitarian Day provides a ripe opportunity to reflect on the incidents that have shaken our sector and re-affirm the importance of security risk management (SRM) to keep aid workers safe. This blog by David Clamp explores one such incident and the lessons we can learn.

All 2022

Duty of Care: A review of the Dennis v Norwegian Refugee Council ruling and its implications

In 2015, Steve Dennis submitted a claim at the Oslo District Court against his former employer, the NRC, for compensation for economic and non-economic loss following his kidnapping in 2012. The court concluded that the NRC acted with gross negligence in relation to this incident and found the NRC to…

Global English Paper, Article 2016

GISF gives evidence to UK’s International Development Committee

GISF attended UK Parliament to advocate on behalf of the NGO sector to protect aid workers and ensure lifesaving assistance reaches those in need.

Europe 2025

Webinar Recording: Rethinking Duty of Care – Lessons from the Dennis Case, Ten Years On

Webinar Recording: Rethinking Duty of Care – Lessons from the Dennis Case, Ten Years On

Related:

Ten years on: learning from the Steve Dennis case

Duty of Care: A review of the Dennis v Norwegian Refugee Council ruling and its implications

GISF gives evidence to UK’s International Development Committee