Maurice O'Carroll

  • Year of Call 2019

Introduction

Maurice has nearly 30 years’ advocacy experience, having called to the Bar in Scotland 1995.  He has been dual qualified since March 2019 when he also called to the Bar of England and Wales.  He is Public Access registered and may accordingly accept instructions directly from members of the public in appropriate cases.

His principal areas of practice are:

-          Employment Law

-          Town and Country Planning

-          Administrative Law

-          Regulatory and

-          Commercial Law

Maurice is regularly highly ranked in Chambers and Partners UK Bar Directory and Legal 500 for Planning and Environmental Law and also Employment Law.  He is also ranked as a leading junior counsel for both Employment Law and for Property Planning and Construction in the 2025 edition of the Legal 500.

He has appeared before the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the SSSC, which is the body regulating social workers in Scotland.

Maurice has been a Legal Associate of the Royal Town Planning Institute since 1998.  He has conducted planning inquires for developers, objectors and local authorities in relation to a number of high-profile applications.  He has appeared on many occasions in the Scottish equivalent of the High Court and the Scottish Court of Appeal in relation to judicial review actions against planning authorities.

Maurice has been a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators since 2018 and has experience in domestic arbitrations.

Maurice is once again ranked Band 1 in the current Chambers and Partners UK Bar Directory 2025 for Planning and Environmental Law. In the 2024 edition, the directory stated that he is 'an excellent advocate; extremely approachable and responsive and he can handle complicated situations with ease.' (Chambers UK, 2024)

In the previous edition of Chambers and Partners UK Directory, it was stated that Maurice is 'one of the strongest junior counsel at the Bar at the moment.’ (Chambers UK, 2023).  This follows favourable rankings by Chambers and Partners in 2021 and 2022.

He is also ranked as a leading Junior for Employment in the most recent (2025) edition of the Legal 500. In 2024, that directory stated that: 'Maurice has a great knack of identifying and succinctly summarising the key legal issues in a case and has a great delivery technique in the tribunal.'  He is also a leading junior in the Legal 500 category Property, Planning & Construction in the latest (2025) edition of the Legal 500.  In 2024 it stated that 'Maurice provides accessible advice that offers a practical steer as well as a helpful analysis of the legal issues.' (Legal 500, 2024).  Maurice was also ranked as a leading junior in the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Legal 500.

Maurice is a door tenant at 33 Bedford Row. 

 

 

 

Employment

Maurice appears for both respondents and claimants. 

He has been recognised in recent editions of Legal 500 for his expertise in Employment Law: He is again ranked as leading Junior Counsel in the field of Employment in Scotland in the latest (2025) edition of the Legal 500.  It was stated in the 2024 edition that: ‘Maurice has a great knack of identifying and succinctly summarising the legal issues in a case and has a great delivery technique before the Tribunal.'  He is also ranked Band 2 for Employment Law in Chambers and Partners UK Directory.  In its 2024 edition client testimonials stated: 'He has helped us through numerous matters and always provides a professional service. He has successfully defended our clients in complex tribunal matters.'  'Maurice is very responsive and has sound knowledge of advocating for his clients’ needs.' (Chambers UK, 2024)

In 2010, Maurice founded the Scottish Bar Employment Law Group, which is a professional interest grouping aimed at promoting education and excellence in Employment Law in Scotland.  The Employment Law Group holds an annual conference each year which hosts prestigious speakers in the field of Employment. 

Maurice has conducted cases involving disability discrimination, maternity discrimination and sex discrimination under the Equalities Act 2010.  He is presently engaged in a number of Equality Act claims for the respondent.  He has previously appeared in a lengthy race discrimination application before the Employment Tribunal in London and in a sexual orientation discrimination claim before the Employment Tribunal in Manchester, both for the claimant.

Planning & Environment

Maurice has extensive experience in Town and Country Planning.  He is once again ranked Band 1 in the 2025 edition of Chambers and Partners UK Bar Directory for Planning and Environmental Law. His work includes energy sector applications, housing and compulsory acquisition.  He has conducted planning inquires for developers, objectors and local authorities in relation to a number of high-profile applications. A selection of Maurice's inquiry work includes the following:

- Acting for a statutory CPO objector against a proposal for compulsory acquisition of land further to an offshore wind energy development scheme near Dunbar (2024)

- Acting for a local authority in opposition to an onshore wind energy development scheme in Tarbert, Argyll (2024)

- Acting for a local authority in opposition to a proposed 275kv overhead power line connection in Dalmally, Argyll (2023)

- A successful appeal against enforcement action taken by Somerset West & Taunton Council in connection with an alleged unlawful change of use to a dwelling house of an agricultural building (2022)

Maurice has also appeared on many occasions in the Scottish equivalent of the Chancery and Queen's Bench divisions of the High Court and the Scottish Court of Appeal in relation to judicial review actions against planning authorities. 

 

Regulatory

Maurice has recently represented clients before the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the SSSC, which is the body regulating social workers in Scotland.

Commercial

Maurice has experience in advising clients in relation to commercial leases and agreements.  He has advised a local authority on its rights to recover property held on a commercial lease.  He recently advised a major housing developer in relation to the validity of a planning obligation agreement.

Professional Negligence

Maurice has in the past acted as junior counsel in a four week civil trial for a Plaintiff against a professional insurance broker and obtained an award of damages in excess of £1m in the commercial court.

He has also previously advised in an action against a professional tax advisor which led to a substantial settlement.

Arbitration & Mediation

Maurice is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) after passing the Fellowship Examination in Arbitral Practice and Procedure and Award Writing in 2018.  Prior to that he had been a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators following a fast-track entry procedure in 2016.

In December 2015, he successfully completed the Scottish Community Mediation Centre's SCQF level 6 course in Mediation Skills.

He is a member of the Scottish Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Service (FDRS) which is a panel of experts dedicated to Alternative Dispute Resolution at the Scottish Bar.

Awards & Prizes

Maurice O'Carroll's expertise has been consistently recognised for many years in legal directories including 2025.  The Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide in 2024 stated: 'Maurice O'Carroll is an excellent advocate; extremely approachable and responsive and he can handle complicated situations with ease.'   The 2023 edition stated: 'Maurice O'Carroll is one of the strongest junior counsel at the Bar at the moment.’

 

Qualifications

LLB (Hons) (2:1) University of Edinburgh 1988

Dip LP, University of Edinburgh 1989

Legal Associate of the Royal Town Planning Institute (LARTPI) 1998

Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) 2018

Appointments

Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government (equivalent to Treasury Counsel) 2003-2012

Legal Chair and Board Member of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (equivalent to LeO) 2011-2016

Legal Chair in the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) 2012 - present

Memberships

Founder and Secretary of the Scottish Bar Employment Law Group

Vice-Chairman of the Scottish Bar Planning Group

Member of the Scottish Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Service (FDRS) 

Languages

Fluent French speaker; Italian

Direct Access

Maurice is accredited to accept work under the Direct Access Scheme, also known as the Public Access Scheme, in suitable cases.  In order to instruct Maurice on a Direct Access basis, contact the clerks on +44 (0) 20 7242 6476 or by emailing clerks@33br.co.uk

GDPR Notice

Privacy Notice - General Data Protection Regulation

Please read the following information carefully.

This privacy notice contains information about the information collected, stored and otherwise processed about you and the reasons for the processing. It also tells you who I share this information with, the security mechanisms I have put in place to protect your data and how to contact me in the event you need further information. 

Who Am I?

I am Maurice O'Carroll, a barrister practising at 33 Bedford Row Chambers, 33 Bedford Row, London, WC1R 4JH. I collect, use and am responsible for personal information about you (personal information being any information about an individual from which that person can be identified). When I do this I am the ‘controller’ of this information for the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the Data Protection Act 2018. I am registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioner's Office under reference number Z2819872.  If you need to contact me about your data or the processing carried out you can use the contact details at the end of this document.

What do I do with your information?

Information collected

When carrying out the provision of legal services or otherwise providing services to you I collect personal information that you provide that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

a. personal details (including copies of documents such as passports and driving licences)

b. family details

c. lifestyle and social circumstances

d. goods and services

e. financial details

f. education, training and employment details

g. other personal data relevant to, or included in, instructions to provide legal services, including data specific to the instructions in question and data included in documents provided to me as part of instructions or otherwise.

In relation to (g) such information may include personal information relating to family members, associates, agents, employees, shareholders or beneficial owners.  Where you provide such personal information to me, you confirm that you are authorised to do so. It is not reasonably practicable for me to provide to these individuals the information set out in this Privacy Notice. Accordingly, where appropriate, you are responsible for providing this information to any such individuals.

Similarly, where you are a professional client and provide me with personal data relating to your client (including any information referenced in (f) above) you confirm that you are authorised to do so.

Information collected from other sources

The personal information I obtain may include information which has been obtained from:

In particular, I may collect information from a solicitor or accountant or other professional adviser that instructs me on your behalf to provide legal services.

How I use your personal information:

Purposes I may use your personal information for the following purposes:

  1. to provide legal services to my clients, including the provision of legal advice and representation in courts, tribunals, arbitrations, and mediations

  2. to keep accounting records and carry out office administration

  3. to take or defend legal or regulatory proceedings or to exercise a lien

  4. to respond to potential complaints or make complaints

  5. to check for potential conflicts of interest in relation to future potential cases

  6. to promote and market my services

  7. to carry out anti-money laundering and terrorist financing checks

  8. to train other barristers and  pupils, and when providing work-shadowing opportunities ix. when procuring goods and services

  9. to publish legal judgments and decisions of courts and tribunals

  10. as required or permitted by law.

Whether information has to be provided by you, and why

If I have been instructed by you or on your behalf on a case, your personal information has to be provided to enable me to provide legal services to you, and to enable me to comply with my professional obligations, and to keep accounting records.  If you do not provide the personal information requested, it may delay or prevent me providing services to you.

The legal basis for processing your personal information

I rely on the following as the lawful bases on which I collect and use your personal information:

Where I rely on legitimate interests as a lawful basis for processing your personal information, I will carry out a balancing test by reference to your interests and fundamental rights and freedoms. I will only use your personal information for the purposes for which I collected it, unless I reasonably consider I need to use if for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose.

Who will I share your personal information with?

Other people If you are a client, some of the information you provide will be protected by legal professional privilege unless and until the information becomes public in the course of any proceedings or otherwise. As a barrister I have an obligation to keep your information confidential, except where it otherwise becomes public or is disclosed as part of the case or proceedings.

It may be necessary to share your information with the following:

I may be required to provide your information to regulators, such as the Bar Standards Board, the Financial Conduct Authority or the Information Commissioner’s Office. In the case of the Information Commissioner’s Office, there is a risk that your information may lawfully be disclosed by them for the purpose of any other civil or criminal proceedings, without my consent or yours, which includes privileged information.

I may also be required to disclose your information to the police or intelligence services, where, acting in good faith, I consider it required or permitted by law. 

Data Processing

I use a number of different service providers (acting as ‘data processors’) who provide administration and  IT-related services to enable me to operate my business and provide  services to clients. Your personal information is transferred to (and stored by) these data processors, who generally fall under the following categories:

Please contact me using the details at the end of this document if you want further information on specific data processors or the types of personal data they process for me.  

If you would like more information about the systems operated by Chambers in acting as a data processor for me, please contact the Senior Clerk.

Transfer of your information outside the European Economic Area (EEA)

This privacy notice is of general application and as such it is not possible to state whether it will be necessary to transfer your information out of the EEA in any particular case or for a reference. However, if you reside outside the EEA or your case or the role for which you require a reference involves persons or organisations or courts and tribunals outside the EEA then it may be necessary to transfer some of your data to that country outside of the EEA for that purpose.

If you are in a country outside the EEA or if the instructions you provide come from outside the EEA then it is inevitable that information will be transferred to those countries. If this applies to you and you wish additional precautions to be taken in respect of your information please indicate this when providing initial instructions.

Some countries and organisations outside the EEA have been assessed by the European Commission and their data protection laws and procedures found to show adequate protection. The list can be found here. Most do not.

If your information has to be transferred outside the EEA, then it may not have the same protections and you may not have the same rights as you would within the EEA.

I may transfer your personal information to the following which are located outside the European Economic Area (EEA):

If I decide to publish a judgment or other decision of a Court or Tribunal containing your information then this will be published to the world. 

I will not otherwise transfer personal information outside the EEA except as necessary for providing legal services or for any legal proceedings.

If you would like any further information please use the contact details at the end of this document.

How long will I store your personal data?

I will normally store all your information:

If, when reviewing the personal information I hold, I determine that it is no longer necessary for me to retain such personal information, I will take appropriate steps to either anonymise it or delete it.

(Please note that personal information does not include data where the relevant person’s identity has been removed (ie anonymous data).)

Consent

As explained above, I am relying on your explicit consent to process any of your personal information e that is “sensitive information” for GDPR purposes.  You provided this consent when you agreed that I would provide legal services. In addition, there may be other circumstances in which I rely on your explicit consent to process other personal information.  Where the lawful basis on which I can process your personal information is consent, you have the right to withdraw this consent at any time. If you withdraw you consent this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing activity I have carried out prior to you notifying me of the withdrawal of your consent. Further, withdrawal of your consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing on any other applicable lawful basis, (for example, if you have asked me to work for you and I have spent time on your case, you may owe me money which I will be entitled to claim). To withdraw consent, you should notify me by contacting me as set out at the end of this document.

Your Rights

Under the GDPR, you have a number of rights that you can exercise in certain circumstances. These are free of charge. In summary, you may have the right to:

If you want to exercise any of these rights, please contact me  using the contact details at the end of this document. Please provide a contact address so that you can be contacted to request further information to verify your identity and in addition:

Keeping your data secure

I use reasonable technical and organisational security measures to prevent personal information from being accidentally lost or destroyed, or used or accessed in an unauthorised way.  In this connection, Chambers, as data processor, acting on my behalf, will only process your personal data on my instructions and are subject to a duty of confidentiality.

Marketing Emails

As above, I may share your personal data with Chambers who may in turn use that data to notify you by email, telephone or post about invitation to seminars and similar events.  You may opt out of receiving any such marketing communications at any time by using the “unsubscribe” link in any emails. In relation to how Chambers uses such data, please see Chambers’ privacy policy. Other than sharing personal data with Chambers as described above, I will not share your information with any other third party for marketing purposes.

How to make a complaint?

The GDPR also gives you the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners’ Office if you are in the UK, or with the supervisory authority of the Member State where you work, normally live or where the alleged infringement of data protection laws occurred. The Information Commissioner’s Office can be contacted at http://ico.org.uk/concerns/

Future Processing

I do not intend to process your personal information except for the reasons and purposes stated within this privacy notice. If this changes, this privacy notice will be amended and placed on Chambers website. 

Changes to this privacy notice

This privacy notice was published on 19 August 2020. I may change this policy from time to time. When I do it will be placed on Chambers website. 

Contact Details

If you have any questions about this privacy notice or the information I hold about you, please contact me or my clerks.  The best way to contact me is to write to me at my Chambers address (33 Bedford Row, London, WC1R 4JH) or contact my clerks by email at clerks@33bedfordrow.co.uk or by telephone at  +44 (0) 20 7242 6476.

Transparency Information

Transparency Information

Maurice O’Carroll's entry on the Barrister Register can be viewed here.

The Legal Ombudsman's decision data website can be found here.

Maurice O’Carroll is regulated by the Bar Standards Board

Professional, licensed access and/or lay clients may contact Maurice O’Carroll through the 33 Bedford Row clerks, to obtain a quotation for legal services. Contact details are:

Clerks@33bedfordrow.co.uk
Tel: 0207 242 6476

Maurice O’Carroll's most commonly used pricing models, are:

(1) for specific hearings - a fixed fee; 
(2) for other work - hourly rates.

Maurice’s fees are based around an hourly rate of £250-£300 plus VAT per hour. This is indicative only and may vary depending various factors. Please ask for a quotation. Factors influencing the hourly rate, will include:

(1) complexity and nature of the work;
(2) timescales for work and the need for out of office hours work;
(3) sum in issue;
(4) location of any hearings or conferences;

Typically, the above fixed fee or hourly rates will cover all the fees. However, where there are additional costs, these are likely to be:

(1) travel costs to and from a location; for instance, a court or a conference held away from 33 Bedford Row Chambers in London. These are likely to be standard class train fare/reasonable petrol costs;

(2) hotel costs, for the cost of staying overnight for the purpose of attending court hearing(s) and/or a conference held away from 33 Bedford Row Chambers in London. These will be reasonable hotel costs. 

There should be agreement about whether these costs are including in the fee or are additional to the fee quoted.

Maurice is VAT registered and VAT is charged on his fees, where applicable. Maurice's VAT number is available on reasonable request. 

The areas of practice in which he most commonly provides legal services, are disputes involving:

(1) Employment;
(2) Town and Country Planning;
(3) Professional regulation;
(4) Arbitration.

His most commonly provided legal services are:

(1) Representation in court;
(2) Advising in conference; and
(3) Drafting opinions, written court pleadings and other formal documents;

The key stages to his instruction are likely to be:

(1) receipt of documentation from the client;
(2) discussion between clerk and client, about the fee, scope of the work and timescales for the work;
(3) agreeing a Client Care Letter/Public Access Agreement, signing and payment of the fee;
(4) holding a conference (whether in person or remotely) with the client (if applicable);
(5) drafting documentation and/or preparing for the hearing (as applicable);
(6) supplying the drafted documentation to the client and/or the court/other side, and/or attending the hearing (as applicable);
(7) discussion about the documentation, or about the outcome of the hearing.

Typically, the above will be carried out over the course of a few weeks, but timescales will vary. The factors which might influence the timescales for his most commonly provided legal services, are:

(1) complexity of the task;
(2) availability of all the documentation;
(3) availability of additional information from the client;
(4) amount of papers that needs to be read;
(5) time taken to hold a conference with the client (if necessary); and
(6) the workload in the particular case and the workload of other cases in the barrister's practice.

Maurice accepts Direct Access and Public Access work. However, he is not authorised to 'conduct litigation' as a solicitor can. While Maurice can draft documents, and advise and guide a Direct Access/Public Access client, the Direct Access/Public Access client will need to issue proceedings, file documents at court, and serve documents on other parties themselves. The scope of his services should be discussed with his clerk.

A website called Legal Choices is run by the frontline legal regulators. It can be a good source of information for those looking to instruct a lawyer.

Maurice has professional indemnity insurance cover for all types of legal services he supplies to the public and businesses.

Maurice is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): Z2819872