Barristers – Crime

Jozef was called to the respective Bars of Queensland (Australia) and England & Wales (United Kingdom) in 2023, and currently practises in Queensland.

He accepts briefs in all areas of the law, with a particular focus on commercial and public law and a special interest in matters engaging civil rights.

Prior to call and following a 2015 admission in the Supreme Court of Queensland as the youngest lawyer in Southern Hemisphere history that received international coverage and earned him a congressional commendation from the House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines, Jozef practised for three years as a solicitor specialised in commercial dispute resolution. As a solicitor, he represented clients in a broad range of matters spanning contractual and property disputes through guardianship contentions and winding up applications to debt recovery and defamation suits.

After graduating from a Master of Laws specialised in Public International Law with High Distinction at the Australian National University, he completed the prestigious Master’s Degree in Corporate Law at the University of Cambridge in 2021 while serving as an associate editor of the Cambridge Law Review.

Before commencing at the Bar, Jozef successfully swept a gauntlet of rigorous standardised bar examinations around the world, consisting of those for admission in the jurisdictions of New York (United States of America), England and Wales (United Kingdom), and Queensland (Australia), certifying his conversance with principles of public, civil, and criminal law in each of the jurisdictions.

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.

Shaun was first called to the private bar in 2006 where he developed a broad advice and litigation practice encompassing criminal, tax and private law. In 2009, Shaun joined the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Queensland) as a Crown Prosecutor and conducted numerous criminal trials, sentences and appeals across Central and South-East Queensland.

In 2011, Shaun joined the Australian Taxation Office and gained extensive experience in federal income tax and superannuation law. He has worked on international, public and private group, and private wealth (family groups and individual) taxation matters.  Shaun has particular expertise in the taxation and regulation of self-managed superannuation funds.

Since returning to the private bar in 2022, Shaun predominantly practices in the areas of taxation and superannuation (primarily SMSFs). His experience is increasingly being called on in associated private wealth matters, particularly as applied to the fields of family, trusts and succession law.

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.

Joshua was called to the Bar in 2020, following more than eight years practice as a lawyer in senior positions (including Principal) in the Litigation Branch of the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.

Joshua has a keen interest in the areas of white-collar and regulatory crime and administrative law, specifically judicial and merits review, having developed significant expertise in these areas throughout his career.  In this space, Joshua’s deep insight into in-house Government regulatory authorities, and their processes, places him in a unique position to achieve successful outcomes, both negotiated and in Court, for government and private clients.

Since coming to the Bar, Joshua has maintained a broad Public Law and Commercial practice as well as regularly taking briefs in Judicial and Merits reviews, Criminal & Quasi-Criminal, Planning and Environment, Land and Property, and Commercial matters, often with a significant Public Law aspect.  Joshua regularly advises and appears for government and private sector clients across all Queensland and Federal jurisdictions.

In Public law recent experience includes:

• Acting for the former Public Trustee of Queensland against the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission in a successful appeal in the Queensland Court of Appeal and the High Court of Australia.
• Acting for Agforce Queensland in a Judicial review against a decision by the Federal Minister for the Environment.
• Acting for the State of Queensland in Judicial review proceedings that sought to challenge the Covid-19 ‘High-risk setting’ directive.
• Advising the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation on matters involving the recent inquiry into the Star Casino operations in Queensland.
• Acting for private clients challenging a directive under the National Health Act 1953 (Cth) in the Federal Court (now the subject of a Full Federal Court Appeal).
• Acting for private clients in disciplinary matters against the QBCC in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
• Acting for private and government clients in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal in human rights, anti-discrimination, and merit review of administrative decisions, including state taxation, firearms, and building certification matters.
• Acting for Government clients in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Appeal Tribunal in appeals against merits review decisions.
• Acting for and advising Government Departments and private clients in the Land Court in relation to valuation disputes, mining objections, and merits reviews under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld).
• Acting for and advising Government Departments and private clients in the Planning and Environment Court in relation to merits reviews under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld).
• Advising a statutory authority on specific questions arising from the interaction between its licensing regime and the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld).
• Advising Local Councils in relation to Native Title Claims.
• Advising a private client on options for challenging a development approval under a local planning scheme in circumstances where the matter of the approval was attended with an error of law.
• Advising various State Government Departments, Agencies, and private clients on statutory construction emanating from various Queensland and Federal enactments.

In Civil disputes recent experience includes:

• Acting for and advising a large pastoral client in a successful Supreme Court application regarding the interpretation of a ‘give and take’ agreement and ss 53 and 55 of the Property Law Act 1975 (Qld) and successfully resisting an Appeal to the Queensland Court of Appeal.
• Acting for a private client in a large civil action regarding building certification works undertaken on a childcare centre.
• Acting for the State of Queensland in a malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office action against the State of Queensland and others.
• Acting for and advised private clients in property matters involving beneficial equitable interests in property including seeking declarations for constructive trusts.
• Acting for a private client in a simple private nuisance and trespass to land claim involving over-excavating land.
• Acting for a de facto partner of a deceased in a family provision application in the Supreme Court of Queensland.
• Acting for a private client in a complicated failed joint venture claim involving the operation of a regional hotel.

In Criminal and Quasi-Criminal Law recent experience includes:

• Acting as a prosecutor for the Crown in a large complex indictable prosecution for offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld).
• Acting as a prosecutor for the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QFES) in a summary trial for 19 offences under the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 (Qld) and the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 (Qld).
• Acting for police officer defendants against private prosecutions brought under the Justices Act 1886 (Qld), successfully having those matters struck out or permanently stayed.
• Acting for police officer defendants in an appeal to the Supreme Court from the decisions of the Magistrates Court to strike out complaints and successfully resisting that appeal.
• Acting for QFES as the respondent to an appeal against conviction under s 222 of the Justices Act 1886 (Qld) in the District Court and successfully resisting the appeal.
• Advised government and private clients on matters of regulatory compliance in relation to the Planning Act 2016 (Qld), Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld), and Building Act 1975 (Qld).
• Acting for a private client in negotiating a successful outcome regarding significant environmental non-compliance to avoid prosecution.
• Acting for a private commercial entity defending a development offence under the Planning Act.

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.