Briana is an experienced criminal defence advocate. She accepts briefs in all areas of criminal and quasi-criminal law, including confiscation proceedings, inquests, disciplinary matters, intervention orders and proceedings conducted pursuant to the Serious Offenders Act 2018 (Vic) and the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 (Vic).
Briana has particular expertise and interest in Children's Court practice, often representing children and young people in all types of criminal matters, as well as in the Family Division of the Children’s Court.
Before coming to the Bar, Briana had been a lawyer for nearly 10 years. She worked at Victoria Legal Aid, appearing regularly as a solicitor advocate in summary and indictable matters, was senior associate to the Honourable Justice Hollingworth in the Supreme Court of Victoria and was a senior policy officer at the Victorian Law Reform Commission working on criminal law reform.
Briana was also the Supreme Court of Victoria's Senior Legal Registrar in the Criminal Division immediately before coming to the Bar. In this role, she oversaw all criminal applications made in the Criminal Division and has specialised knowledge of practice and procedure relating to:
- Post-sentence applications and reviews under the CMIA and Serious Offenders Act;
- Public interest immunity proceedings; and
- Other covert applications such as those under the Major Crimes (Investigative Powers) Act and the Surveillance Devices Act.
She accepts briefs in all of these areas of practice.
Briana read with Sarah Keating and her senior mentor is Sally Flynn KC.