Willem Debeuckelaere worked as an advocate, Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Home Affairs, judge, councilor in the Court of Appeal of Ghent, and was president of the Belgian Data Protection Authority from 2005 until 2019.  He was vice-president of the Working Group 29 and the EDPB until April 2019.  

He was president of the Flemish Ligue of human rights in the 80’s.  He is currently working as guest professor at Ghent University and member of the board of the Belgian Federal Institution for the defence of Human Rights.

He has published on legal aid, fundamental rights, privacy and data protection.