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.