Barristers – Crime

Rebekah was called to the Bar in 2021.

Before coming to the Bar, Rebekah practiced as a solicitor for over 18 Years:

• Originally being admitted as a legal practitioner in Tasmania in 2003;
• Then, after moving to Far North Queensland in 2006, she worked in a range of roles from Associate in a large firm in Cairns to Principal Solicitor at an Indigenous legal service;
• in 2014, Rebekah established her own practice which she successfully ran until she decided to come to the Bar.

​Rebekah’s experience as a solicitor uniquely informs her practice as a barrister.

The areas of law Rebekah accepts briefs include:

• Family Law
• Child Protection
• Domestic and Family Violence
• All types of Civil Matters (including alternative dispute resolution avenues including Mediation and Arbitration)
• Estate Litigation
• Criminal
• Inquests and Inquiries

Rebekah has extensive experience acting as an Independent Children’s Lawyer and Separate Representative (Child Protection matters).

Rebekah practices in all jurisdictions and is available, in addition to regionally based matters, to appear in Courts and Tribunals based in South East Queensland and interstate (especially New South Wales).

Rebekah is also a NMAS qualified Mediator and Arbitrator.

Richard specialises in insurance, common law and statutory liability, commercial law, real property and confiscation of criminal profits. He is a nationally accredited mediator and has mediated over 700 disputes in all spheres of the law.

He has been in private practice as a barrister in Brisbane since 1982 and took silk in 1998.

He has appeared in many leading cases construing the pre-procedural and civil liability legislation of Queensland and was co-Senior Counsel assisting the Queensland Public Hospitals Commission of Inquiry conducted by the Honourable Geoffrey Davies AO.

Richard is Chair of the Bar Association of Queensland’s General Litigation Committee. From 2009 to 2011, he was President of the Bar Association of Queensland, a Director of the Law Council of Australia and Member of the Board of the Australian Bar Association. Prior appointments also include Chair of a stakeholder reference group appointed by the Queensland Attorney General, which reported to the Queensland Government as to options available to homogenise Queensland pre-proceeding personal injury process regimes.

Richard is a joint author of Annotated Civil Liability Legislation Queensland published by LexisNexis and a joint author of and principal contributor to Civil Liability Australia, a national loose-leaf and electronic LexisNexis service, each addressing the Ipp legislation in the states and territories. He is also a member of the editorial board and contributor to the Civil Liability newsletter, also published by LexisNexis.

In 2014, the Australian Insurance Law Association awarded Richard its annual Insurance Law Prize.

Paula was called to the Bar in Queensland in 2022.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Paula:

• graduated with a Juris Doctor of Laws from Bond University in 2014;
• was admitted in 2015 to the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia; and
• Following her admission, Paula worked predominately in Family and Criminal law in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.

Paula’s primary areas of interest are:

• Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law
• Commercial Law
• Common Law/Personal Injuries
• Criminal Law
• Equity
• Family Law and Guardianship and
• Regulatory Law (all types)

Paula is a dedicated and compassionate Barrister, providing detailed advice and advocating strongly on her client’s behalf.

Paula was called to the Bar in Queensland in 2022.

Ms Jessica Goldie was first called to the Bar in February 2012.

She practises primarily in criminal law, having appeared in over a hundred serious and complex criminal jury trials primarily in regional Queensland.

Jess’ extensive advocacy and legal experience saw her appointment to the Legal Aid Queensland Complex Criminal Case Panel in 2019.

Jess has also appeared in a range of hearings in both the Supreme and District Courts of Queensland, including sentence hearings, legal applications and bail applications. She also regularly appears in domestic violence matters.

Jess was previously employed with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions from 2009 to 2018 and was commissioned as a permanent Crown Prosecutor in 2011 (being, at the time, one of the youngest Barristers to hold such a commission in Australia).

In 2016, Jess was promoted to the position of Senior Crown Prosecutor and was head of the Toowoomba Chambers of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. She was permanently appointed to the position in 2017, where she remained until her resignation in 2018 to commence her career at the private bar.

In addition to her established criminal law practice, Jess also practices in the areas of:

• Regulatory and Disciplinary matters
• Inquests and Commissions of Inquiry
• Abuse Law

Jess is actively involved in her local Toowoomba community and within the legal community. She previously served on the Board of the Queensland Rural, Regional and Remote Women’s Network and on the committee for the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland as the Southern Regional Representative.

Jess is also regularly involved with the University of Southern Queensland Mooting Competitions and is a member of Zonta Garden City.

Claire Grant has practiced exclusively in criminal law since her admission in 2007. Claire commenced her career with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and moved to the bar in 2011.

Claire has defended many complex criminal trials throughout Queensland in both the Supreme and District Courts. Claire has appeared both as lead counsel and junior counsel in the Court of Appeal and as junior counsel in the High Court of Australia on criminal appeals.

In addition to briefs in crime, Claire accepts briefs in inquests and inquiries, regulatory prosecutions both for the prosecution and defence, and in domestic violence hearings.

Claire has recently been appointed to Legal Aid Queensland’s Complex Criminal Case Barrister Panel.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

• Criminal Law
• Coronial Inquests & Inquiries
• Regulatory Prosecutions
• Domestic Violence
• Mediator

Stephen has been practicing since 1990 and was called to the Bar in 2016.

Over more than three decades Stephen has practiced broadly, but his particular areas of interest are:

• Family Law (including Domestic Violence)
• Criminal Law & Professional Discipline
• Administrative & Public Law

Stephen holds a Bachelor of Laws and is also a qualified and experienced costs assessor having been appointed to the Supreme Courts panel in December 2008.

Other relevant affiliations and positions held by Stephen are:

• Member Bar Association of Queensland
• Member of LawRight

His present practice calls for him to appear regularly in the courts of Queensland, N.S.W. and Victoria in matters including:

• The conduct of appeals as sole Counsel (unled) before the Court of Appeal and the Full Court of the Family Court. (These appearances include the following reported cases: Yein & Zihao (2019) FLC ¶ 93-889; Allen v Ruddy Tomlins & Baxter(2019) 1 QR 225; Beckham & Quarrington (2019) FLC ¶93-913; Weng & Wah and Ors (2019) FLC ¶93-933; and McLaren v Wiltshire Lawyers Pty Ltd [2019] 3 QR 158.)
• Complex property and parenting trials in the Family Court and Federal Circuit Courts of Australia.
• Criminal trials (including matters involving allegations of historical sexual abuse and serious assault) in the District Court of Queensland.
• Investigations and reports (briefed by Church body) of allegations of physical and sexual abuse.
• Civil penalty hearings in the Federal Court of Australia.
• Civil trials in the District and Supreme Courts of Queensland.
• Applications for review under the Migration Act 1958(Cth) in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia.

Rachel was called to the Private Bar in October 2023.

Prior to being called to the bar, Rachel:

• was employed as a solicitor at Legal Aid Queensland for some 7 years (criminal law and child protection);
• was an Associate to His Honour Judge Brendan Butler AM SC in the District Court in 2016; and
• lived in the Hague as part of the prosecution team for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

She holds a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours and a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Criminology) from the University of Queensland. She was the winner of the University of Queensland Law Society Medal for Outstanding Achievement for her graduating class.

Rachel was also a finalist in the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland (WLAQ) Emergent Woman Lawyer of the Year Award in 2017.

Rachel accepts briefs in all areas of criminal law, domestic violence, family law and child protection as well as personal injuries and coronial inquests.  She also accepts briefs for applications in the Supreme Court pursuant to the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act (2003).

Rachel is experienced in representing some of the most vulnerable people in the State. In addition to her courtroom advocacy experience, Rachel has a particular interest in mental health law, having appeared in over one hundred Mental Health Review Tribunal hearings for Forensic Order reviews, treatment authority reviews, fitness for trial applications and electro-convulsive therapy applications, routinely involving the cross-examination of medical experts.

Rachel has also previously worked as a research assistant for the University of Queensland TC Beirne School of Law in the area of immigration and refugee law. Rachel has extensive advocacy experience. As counsel, she regularly runs criminal law jury trials and summary trials (unled) as well as family law trials and defended interim hearings, child protection trials and domestic violence hearings (all unled).

Ms Deanna Musumeci was called to the Queensland Bar in October 2021.

Previously, Deanna practiced as a solicitor for 8 years in Townsville with a particular practice interest in Family Law and Commercial Litigation.

Deanna has acted in complex Family Law and Commercial Litigation matters involving:

• The interpretation and enforcement of a Deed of Family Arrangement;
• Acting for third party intervenors in a family law property dispute involving issue of trust, debts and gifts;
• Acting for a legally aid funded respondent mother in relation to parenting and access issues involving complicated social issues such as drugs, alcohol, neglect and abuse.

Deanna, in addition to a busy private practice, is passionate about social justice and volunteers her time to various social justice institutions such as:

• Townsville Community Law; and
• North Queensland Women’s Legal Service.

Other relevant affiliations and positions held by Deanna are:

• Townsville Hospital Ethic Committee;
• Townsville District Law Association Committee Member; and
• North Queensland District Law Association Committee member.

Caitlin was called to the bar in 2023.

Prior to coming to the bar, Caitlin worked as a solicitor in private practice and held various government positions including:

• General Counsel, Queensland Ombudsman
• Senior Lawyer, Crime and Corruption Commission
• Legal Officer/Solicitor, Tenants’ Union of Queensland

Caitlin also has an interest in Sports Law and holds the following external positions:

• Member of the Selection Committee for Athletics Australia – National Teams
• Panel Member for the AFL Queensland Tribunal
• Listed on the National Sports Tribunal Legal Assistance Panel

She has a unique perspective as a sports lawyer having previously pursued a career in athletics.

Andrew conducts a diverse practice as a barrister with his base in Brisbane.  He was admitted to the bar on 15 May 1989 and has advised or acted in proceedings on behalf of and against the Commonwealth, the State of Queensland and its executive arms, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representative bodies, corporations and individuals.  He has appeared in the High Court, Full Federal Court, Federal Court, Federal Circuit Court, Queensland Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Queensland, District Court, Land Court, Magistrates Court and in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Andrew has previously worked, in his capacity as a barrister, in various areas of the Crown Solicitors Office working in the Crown Law Office in various areas including general litigation and general advocacy appearing for the Crown in a range of matters including coronial inquiries, statutory compliance and enforcement prosecutions across a range of legislation, mental health appeals, professional disciplinary proceedings and child protection.

During this time he was seconded to the Commission of Inquiry into Possible Illegal activities and Associated Police Misconduct (Fitzgerald Inquiry).  Andrew also worked in the Policy and Legislation arm of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General as a Ministerial adviser and then on various amendments to the Criminal Code and Serious Violent Offenders legislation. He became the Executive Legal Consultant of the Native Title Law Branch before departing to work as the Principal Legal Officer for an Aboriginal Land Council.  He commenced practice at the private Bar in 2000.

Between February 2014 and March 2016, Andrew was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Solomon Islands and appeared at trial and on appeal for the tribal groups of Isabel successfully overturning a the registration of Torrens system title in a large mining corporation and having the land back placed in the hands of its traditional owners.

Andrew has been consistently recognised in Doyles Guide as a leading Native Title Junior Counsel – Australiawide since 2012.  Most recently he has been recognised in the 2022 rankings.