Josie Dempster
Barrister
LLB (Hons)
BIOGRAPHY
Josie is a barrister with expertise in a wide range of practice areas, including common law, administrative review, human rights and discrimination, inquests, professional negligence and statutory workers' compensation.
Before being called to the Bar, Josie was a solicitor at Sparke Helmore Lawyers and DLA Piper, specialising in commercial insurance litigation. In February 2018, she was the winner of the NSW Bar Association’s Katrina Dawson Award for female barristers. In November 2018, Josie was awarded the ACT Bar Association’s Women’s Scholarship. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, she was named as a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly “30 Under 30” awards in the ‘barrister’ category.
Josie has been a member of the Australian Bar Association’s Ethics Committee and the ACT Bar Association’s Women Barristers’ Committee. She has tutored Litigation and Dispute Management at the Australian National University and volunteered as a mentor through the Women in Law Organisation and ACT Young Lawyers’ Mentoring Program.
Josie is a passionate supporter of pro bono initiatives and accepts work through programs such as the ACT Pro Bono Clearing House
AREAS OF PRACTICE
Common law
Criminal law
Institutional abuse
Public liability
Medical negligence
Professional indemnity
CTP
Inquests