Sarah's practice involves regulatory and criminal law matters.
She has experience in cases involving allegations of: fraud, foreign bribery, market manipulation, cartel offences, conspiracy, drug importation, murder, terrorism, workplace safety breaches, bullying, assault and sexual offending.
Sarah is particularly interested in the interaction between criminal law and corporate governance and regulatory contraventions. She provides advice in relation to ASIC litigation, including strategies for compulsory interviews under s19 ASIC Act 2001 and Banning Order hearings under s920A Corporations Act 2001. She has been briefed in relation to ASIC's investigation into Bank Bill Swap Rate practices.
Sarah has extensive experience in relation to commissions of inquiry. In 2017 she was briefed to act for Jetstar. In 2016 Sarah appeared for a former Secretary of the Department of Education (DET) in an inquiry by the Independent Broad Based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) into allegations of corrupt conduct at the DET. In 2015 she appeared as junior counsel for the DET in a seperate inquiry by IBAC into allegations of corrupt conduct. In 2014 Sarah was briefed as junior counsel assisting IBAC in its first public hearings into allegations of corrupt conduct, at Public Transport Victoria.
Sarah has provided advice to Government Departments, Statutory Authorities and in relation to Commissions of Inquiry and Parliamentary Inquiries.
Sarah appears in all jurisdictions including the County Court, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.
In 2011 Sarah was one of 12 barristers selected from members of the Criminal Bar to participate in the inaugural Trial Counsel Development Program, an initiative of Victoria Legal Aid.
Sarah is on the Victoria Legal Aid Preferred Trial Counsel List and has been granted an Indictable Crime Certificate.
Sarah is an accredited advocacy coach and teaches advocacy to members of the profession and at the Victorian Bar Readers Course. She has also taught advocacy on a number of occasions at the Legal Training Institute, Papua New Guinea, as part of a program facilitated by the Victorian Bar and AusAid.
Prior to signing the Bar Roll Sarah was Associate to the Honourable Justice Curtain in the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Some of the more signficant cases that Sarah has acted in include:
- Investigation into the conduct of the former Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle (2018) (led by Ian Freckleton QC)
- Investigation into whether conduct constituted bullying relating to a National Sport (2017)
- Trevor Yates & Ors v The Queen [2017] VSCA 188 (validity of a controlled operations Authority under s15GK(1)(f) Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) (led by Paul Holdenson QC)
- DPP v Downer EDI Works Pty Ltd [Nos 2 and 4] [2017] VSCA 27 (validity of charges - whether 'necessity' under s21(1)&(2)(e) OHS Act must be particularised) (led by Michael Tovey QC)
- DPP V Daing [2016] VSCA 58 (unsuccessful Crown appeal against sentence for murder)
- DPP v Daing [2015] VSC 440 (Murder, plea of guilty)
- Lydgate (A Pseudonym) v R (2014) 46 VR 78 (Case stated - interpretation of 'care supervision or authority' under ss48 and 49 Crimes Act 1958)
- DPP v FJL (2014) 41 VR 572 (Interlocutory appeal against grant of permanent stay)
- Dragojlovic v DPP (2013) 40 VR 71 (Appeal - whether length of trial and presentation of evidence created a real risk that the jury failed to give a verdict according to the evidence) (led by Nick Robinson QC)
- DPP v FM (2013) 233 A Crim R 83 (Interlocutory appeal - interpretation of ‘online offences’ in the Criminal Code)
- DPP v Justin Hill [2012] VSC 353 (Murder)
- DPP v Hutton [2011] VSC 484 (Manslaughter)
- DPP v Benbrika (Ruling No 3) (2011) 216 A Crim R 96 (Terrorism - permanent stay of trial)
