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 practice as well as regularly taking briefs in 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 a private client in a successful appeal in the Queensland Court of Appeal against the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission.
- 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 in disciplinary matters in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
- Acting for Government Departments in the Land Court in relation to valuation disputes and mining objections.
- Advising a statutory authority on specific questions arising from the interaction between its licensing regime and the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld).
- Acting for and advising a Local Council responding to a Native Title Claim involving complex extinguishment considerations.
- Advised 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 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 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 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
In Civil disputes recent experience includes:
- Acting for the State of Queensland in a contested Supreme Court application seeking further and better particulars in relation to a malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office suit against the State of Queensland and others.
- Advising a private client on the application of ss 53 and 55 of the Property Law Act 1975 (Qld) to a ‘give and take’ agreement involving a large cattle property.
- Acting for a private client in a simple private nuisance and trespass to land claim involving over-excavating land.
- Acting for a private client in a complicated failed joint venture claim involving the operation of a regional hotel.
- Advised a private client about constructive trusts in relation to jointly held real property.