Deirdre Sheahan

Deirdre Sheahan heads up Paragon Law’s Asylum and Human Rights department. Deirdre Sheahan specialises in asylum and human rights claims, in particular those relating to very vulnerable migrant groups. These include the asylum claims of unaccompanied children, LGBTI claimants and women who have suffered gender based violence as a form of persecution. Deirdre’s legal work has led to changes in law at both national and European law level. 

In addition to her work in the office, Deirdre Sheahan also provides training and workshops on her areas of speciality for a wide range of organisations. Deirdre’s commitment to Asylum and Human Rights has been recognised by her alma mater, the University of Nottingham, where she was named as their inaugural Alumni of the Year.

Notable cases

Deirdre Sheahan’s legal work has led to changes in law at both national and European law level:

• LQ (Age: immutable characteristics) Afghanistan [2008] changed the UK approach to orphaned children under the Refugee Convention. 
• HJ (Iran) UKSC 2009/0054 at the UK Supreme Court changed the test applied to LGBTI claims. 
• R (MA, BT, DA) v SSHD [2011] EWCA Civ 1446 was referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union and led to changes at EU level regarding responsibility for deciding the asylum claims of children in the EU. 

Why speak with Deirdre Sheahan

Industry acknowledgement

Deirdre Sheahan is well regarded amongst her peers - not only has she been recognised by legal directories such as the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners, but she is often contacted by various outlets to speak on matters of Asylum and Human Rights. For instance, in 2018 Deirdre Sheahan featured in a documentary which shared insight into how ‘everyday people’ were working to help refugees.

Client satisfaction

Deirdre’s commitment and passion for helping individuals and organisations with matters relating to Asylum and Human Rights has subsequently meant that she is highly sought after. Recent testimonials have praised Deirdre’s dedication, kindness, and empathy.