Practice Areas
Declan O’Dempsey specialises in the most difficult and sensitive employment/discrimination/whistleblowing cases as well as equal pay, human rights, confidentiality, GDPR, public law, directors and injunctions. He accepts Public Access Scheme cases. Noted for incisive cross-examination, clear skeleton arguments, and very clear submissions, it is said of him that he 'knows employment law like the back of his hand.' He has appeared in significant/controversial cases such as the first on age discrimination in the CJEU/UKSC (Age UK, Homer, Seldon); on associative discrimination (Coleman); on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (J v KL, Leeks, Sobhi); as well as Police and Health Service whistleblowing/discrimination cases. He appears in TUPE cases (Manchester College v Hazel), and administrative/employment law cases (Betts v MOJ); religion and belief discrimination (Azmi - niqaab). He co-authored a Report on Age Discrimination (European Commission). He advises states on discrimination law reform and cases. He is on the Equality and Human Rights Commission's A Panel, co-drafting their statutory code on Goods and Services and Public Functions under the Equality Act 2010, and Supplement, and Guidance on the Public Sector Equality Duty.
Career
Called 1987. EHRC's A Panel (2015 - ), PT FP Employment Judge (North-East Region) (2013 - ) and PT FP Employment Judge (Scotland) (2018 -). Member of Scottish EJs Training panel. Bar Council's Equality Diversity and Social Mobility Committee (c2005 - )