Courts / Offaly / Report

Teacher alleges women given preferential treatment in Masters programme 24 years ago

Date
2026-07-09
Stage
Hearing Or Decision
Primary locality
Edenderry
County
Offaly

Summary

A teacher is pursuing a 24-year-old gender discrimination claim against UCD, alleging that the university refused him a place on a Master's course despite him being "more qualified than at least the least-qualified" woman who was chosen ahead of him. Patrick Kelly of Edenderry, Co Offaly, applied to the High Court today seeking permission to cross-examine the university's director of legal services, Julian Bostridge. Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty fixed a date in May 2027 for the hearing of the motion. Ms Justice Gearty set a further date of 15 July for the substantive hearing of the matter, at which time it will be 25 years old. Mr Kelly has taken his case against University College Dublin, National University of Ireland, Dublin, with the Director of the Equality Tribunal as a named notice party. He submits that when he applied for a place on a social sciences Masters course in March 2002, he was "under-marked" because of his gender and discriminated against during his course interview.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Teacher alleges women given preferential treatment in Masters programme 24 years ago. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

Why: He submits that when he applied for a place on a social sciences Masters course in March 2002, he was "under-marked" because of his gender and discriminated against during his course interview. CNI source report

Case subjects

Patrick Kelly

Applicant

Places mentioned

Court Venue
  • High Court
Secondary Mention

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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