Dr Gillian Dempsey has over 25 years trial and appellate experience, regularly appearing unled against Kings/Senior Counsel, predominantly in the Federal Court of Australia, as well as Supreme Courts of Queensland and New South Wales.  Experienced in eCourt trials and appeals and on Commercial and Corporations Lists.

Dr Dempsey is responsible for Defamation Cases being heard in the Federal Court through Crosby v Kelly (2012) 203 FCR 451; [2012] FCAFC 96and for real property matters being accrued to the bankruptcy jurisdiction of the Federal Court through Barnden (Trustee), in the matter of Ross (Bankrupt) v Macedo (No 3) [2026] FCA 21.

Her principal areas of practice are defamation and media law (including social media publications), intellectual property and corporations law, with expertise with directors duties, insolvency and bankruptcy.

Known for her exemplary cross-examination skills, with particular expertise in public examinations for liquidators and bankruptcy trustees and challenging the credit of lay and expert witnesses from various disciplines.

Director, Electronic Frontiers Australia

Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge

Professor, MIT Sloan School of Management & QUT Business School

Distinguished Visiting Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto

Visiting Professor, College of Law, Arizona State University

Senior Lecturer, TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland

Books

Kobetsky, M., Dirkis, M., O'Connell, A., Dempsey, G and Krever, R., (2002) Income Tax: Text Materials and Essential Cases, 3rd Edition, Federation Press

Grabosky, P., Dempsey, G.C. and Smith, R.G. (2001) Electronic Theft: Unlawful Acquisition in Cyberspace Cambridge University Press, reprinted 2010.

Journal Articles

Cappa, C. and Dempsey, G.C. (2004) “Moving Far from the Familiar Coastline: Proposed Amendments to the Trade Practices Act and Damages for Mental Injury”, Tort Law Review, Vol. 12, pp. 71-84.

Dempsey, G.C. and Greinke, A.J. (2004) “Proscriptive Fiduciary Duties in Australia” Australian Bar Review, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 1-13.

• Article cited with approval by the Full Federal Court in Expectation Pty Ltd v PRD Realty Pty Ltd (2004) 140 FCR 17 and by NSW Court of Appeal in Brown v NSW [2008] NSWCA 287

Clarke, R.A. and Dempsey, G.C. (2001) “The Technical Feasibility of Regulating Gambling on the Internet” Managerial and Decision Economics, Vol. 22, pp 125-132.

Dempsey, G.C. (1999) “Industrial Espionage: Criminal or Civil Remedies” Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No.106, Australian Institute of Criminology, Canberra (refereed paper series).

Dempsey, G.C. (1999) “Revisiting Intellectual Property Policy: Information Economics for the Information Age” Prometheus, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 33-40.

Dempsey, G.C. (1997) “Socio-Legal Research and Insider Trading in Australia - A Rejoinder” Australia and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 1 - 4.

Dempsey, G.C. (1996) “Socio-Legal Research and Insider Trading in Australia” Australia and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 265 - 275.

Dempsey, G.C. (1995) “Evolution of Copyright Protection for Computer Programs in Australia” Law and Policy Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 282 - 309.

Called to the Bar in 1999

Doctor of Philosophy (ANU)

“Knowledge and Innovation in Intellectual Property: The Case of Computer Program Copyright”,
nominated for JG Crawford Prize for best doctoral thesis.

Bachelor of Laws with first class honours (ANU)

Various subject prizes including Blackburn Medal for Scholarship in Law and the Freehill Hollingdale & Page Award for Commercial Studies.

Graduate Diploma of Higher Education (Teaching) (ANU)