Martin Mensah

Employment

Martin is an accomplished employment advocate of over 20 years’ call. He joined Chambers in 2022 to further develop his practice, having been the Head of Employment at his previous set for a number of years.

Martin’s practice in employment law is nationwide and particularly focuses upon discrimination claims pursuant to the Equality Act 2010. His employment practice covers all aspects of discrimination with extensive experience of multi-day discrimination claims acting for both Respondents and Claimants.

Martin settles pleadings, accepts instructions in multi-day final hearings and advises on matters including restrictive covenants, employment status, contractual disputes, redundancy, unfair dismissal, whistleblowing and TUPE transfers. He acts in high value discrimination claims and represents clients at remedy hearings. Martin is regularly instructed to draft compromise agreements, contracts of employment and employment handbooks covering parental leave, flexible working and various other policies, and to conduct investigation and grievance hearings on behalf of employers.

He is not afraid of tackling the complex legal issues such work demands. His skills have also been utilised in the High Court and Employment Appeal Tribunal and he welcomes further instructions at all levels.

Martin acts for a broad client base including PLCs, medium sized companies, trade unions and local authorities. His Claimant portfolio has included claims against the BBC, NHS Trusts, BT, Lancashire Constabulary, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, JLR, Merseytravel and MITIE. He is experienced in handling the challenges encountered in public authority work and has dealt with high value cases and statutory cap cases in the tribunal. Martin has acted in claims involving NHS Trusts, representing doctors and medical professionals in multi-day claims relating to unfair dismissal and whistleblowing complaints, and welcomes further instructions of this nature.

Having previously advised the Education Workforce Council and acted for medical professionals before the GMC and NMC, Martin welcomes continued instructions in regulatory proceedings of this kind.

Martin developed a race equality scheme for the Government Office for the East Midlands prior to commencing self-employed practice.

Clients value Martin’s technical expertise, robust approach and his commercial acumen. He is skilled in handling commercially or reputationally sensitive cases and is an astute negotiator at Judicial Mediations and in securing favourable settlements. Martin seeks to support his clients wherever possible and has delivered training and mock tribunals to solicitors and HR professionals.

Special Education Needs and Disability

Martin represents parents, pupils, schools and their governing bodies (maintained and independent sector), academies, universities and FE colleges, students, teaching and academic staff and local authorities in all areas of Education law. Martin navigates parents and local authorities through the formulation of EHC plans, school exclusions and tackling EOTAS packages.

He is instructed in County Court and disciplinary/independent review panel proceedings across all areas of school and university life and has been instructed in claims for judicial review arising out of the decisions of local authorities.

Martin has a particular expertise in discrimination claims, acting for students, pupils, schools, universities and Further education colleges in claims before the County Court and specialist regulatory tribunals.

Martin appears in school admissions appeals and challenges to school exclusions before independent panels. Martin has expertise in presenting appeals in the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) concerning Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans and education-related disability discrimination claims at all levels.

Martin engages in advisory work relating to disputes arising from exam results, school complaints procedures, safeguarding/child protection issues, attendance, school closures and re-organisations and is involved in appeals relating to the deregistration/disqualification of childminders and nurseries.

Martin has acted as Clerk to the School appeals panel for Sefton Borough Council and Cumbria.

Martin has presented Appeals to the First-Tier (Special Educational Needs and Disability) Tribunal for local authorities including Halton, St Helens, Blackpool, Trafford and Hampshire Council. Martin has represented local authorities at Upper Tribunal appeals, education related disability discrimination claims including school exclusions, represented parents at school admissions appeals.

He has provided advice and representation regarding judicial review proceedings, advised on school attendance and school transport issues, provided advisory and drafting services for students in relation to appeals to the Office for the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education and dealt with Breach of contract claims concerning Universities.

Regulatory

In the field of Regulatory/Professional Conduct, Martin acts for UK regulators including the General Medical Council.

Martin has expertise in regulatory matters, in particular the regulation of professionals such as Doctors, nurses, social workers, teachers and police officers. Martin represents professionals facing fitness to practise proceedings and has acted for nurses in cases before the Nursing and Midwifery Council and social workers in proceedings before Social Work England.

Martin has experience before various regulatory tribunals including representing Doctors in multi-day hearings before the GMC fitness to practice panel and interim order hearings.

Martin has represented teachers before the Education and Workforce Council and medical professionals before the GMC and NMC.

Martin has also been Clerk to the Police Discipline Tribunal.

Martin has provided advice on strategic issues and police misconduct issues to Greater Manchester Police force.

Notable Cases

Education

• St Helens BC v TE and another [2018] UKUT 278 (AAC)
• The King on the application of ICR (by her litigation friend, UPT) v Halton Borough Council AC-2025-MAN-000318 R
• CRI (by her litigation friend, CFF) v Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council AC-2025BHM-U000326
• The King on the Application of BRD (by his mother and Litigation Friend, CRD) v Lancashire County Council (1) The Government Legal Department
• MW v Halton Borough Council [2010] UKUT 34 (AAC) – Martin represented the local authority in this matter before the Upper Tribunal.

Employment

• Justin Oliver Zinda v Ark Schools and National Education Union [2026] EWHC 469 (KB)

• Mr Charles Vessey v Richmond Photography Ltd [2025] EAT 135
• Governing body of Sutton Oak Church of England Primary School v Mr. M. Whittaker UKEAT/0211/18/BA
• CFS Management Services Ltd v Bashir & Anor UKEAT/0057/12/CEA

• Mr G Wlochinski v English Lakes Hotels Ltd: 6035029/2025 – Interim Relief
• Mrs E Yakimov v Armacell UK Limited [2023] – Interim relief

• Miss L Hodgson v Whistl Fulfilment (Gateshead) Limited [2024] – disability discrimination
• Mr M A Russell v John Lewis PLC [2024] – disability discrimination
• Mr JB Murray v District CE Primary School [2017] – disability discrimination

• Mr F Khal v STS Aviation Services UK Limited [2026] – race discrimination
• Mr J Serrao Da Veiga v Titan Risk Management Limited [2023] – disability and race discrimination
• Miss J Henry v Arnfield Care Limited [2019] – race discrimination remedy
• Mr H Singh v B & Q PLC [2018] – race/religious discrimination

• Courtney Cesari v Brandmovers Europe Limited [2024] – unfair dismissal and sex/maternity discrimination
• Mrs M Singleton v Kevin Lupton [2020] – sex discrimination
• Ms K Clements v Eddie Stobart Limited [2019] – sex discrimination
• Mrs J McArdle v Asco Joucomatic Limited [2017] – pregnancy/maternity discrimination
• Ms V Dale v East Cheshire NHS Trust and Mr M Cawley [2017] – sex discrimination

• Mr J Hollywood v Governing Body of Northwood Community Primary School and Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council [2023] – unfair dismissal
• Mr A Gorry v Stena Line PTE Limited [2019] – unfair dismissal
• Mrs J Clark and Mrs C Ingham v Liverpool & Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust [2019] – unfair dismissal

• GMB and Unite the Union v Walsall Housing Group Limited [2024] – trade union unlawful inducement
• Mr JP Morley v Lancashire County Council [2022] – trade union victimisation

• Mr A Verbitskiy v Alsico Laucuba Ltd [2025] – whistleblowing
• Mr M Bassnett v Nutriculture UK Ltd [2019] – whistleblowing
• Dr Tattersall v Liverpool Womens Hospital NHS Trust and Liverpool University [2018] – whistleblowing detriment

Associations

Employment Lawyers Association

Education

LLB (Hons), Liverpool

BVC, Nottingham Law School

Prescribed Information

Martin Mensah is a practising barrister, who is regulated by the Bar Standards Board. Details of information held by the BSB about Martin can be found here.

Martin’s clerks will happily provide no obligation quotations for all legal services that he provides. Their contact details can be found here. It is most common for Martin to undertake Court and Tribunal work for either a fixed fee or brief fee plus additional refresher days. For advisory work, paperwork and conferences it is most commonly charged at an hourly rate, although fixed fees may be available depending on the circumstances. Martin will typically return paperwork within 10-14 days, however professional commitments, complexity and volume of documentation can affect these approximate timescales. Shorter timescales can be accommodated, please notify Martin’s clerk at the time of instructing if this is required.

Martin also undertakes Direct Access work. This work is undertaken on a contractual basis, as agreed between the client and Martin’s clerks. This is on fixed fee basis for a specific events such as a conference, advisory work, a hearing with additional hearing days (refreshers) or the drafting of specific documents. All work agreed to be undertaken by Martin with the fixed fee cost will be clearly outlined in the direct access contract signed by the client and will be payable in full prior to the commencement of the work.