Diana practices in the areas of criminal law, administrative law, inquests and inquiries. She particularly enjoys working at the intersection of criminal and administrative law and provides written advice across a wide range of areas, including health and licensing regulation.
Criminal law
Diana regularly conducts jury trials in the County and Supreme Courts.
As solo counsel she has twice had murder charges withdrawn following preliminary witness examination or pre-trial argument. As solo counsel she has obtained acquittals in a variety of matters, including in a four-month fraud trial. On two separate occasions she was junior counsel where the client was acquitted of murder.
She appears in occupational health and safety matters and represents parties to investigations by the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. She has been briefed in crimes mental impairment matters and in subpoena disputes, and in matters arising from state and Commonwealth royal commissions.
Diana holds an Indictable Crime Certificate and is a member of the VLA Criminal Trial Preferred Barrister List. Diana is a Lead Counsel with the Trial Counsel Development Program.
Administrative law & professional disciplinary matters
Diana appears in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. She has particular experience in disciplinary and licensing matters, appearing for a variety of professionals as well as on behalf of government agencies, departments and regulatory bodies. Diana also provides advice and appears in Working with Children Check matters, and has appeared as counsel assisting in the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal.
Her recent cases include:
Diana is appointed to the Councillor Conduct Panel to hear and determine complaints of serious misconduct by local government councillors pursuant to the Local Government Act 2020.
Inquests & investigation
Diana is briefed to appear in coronial inquests, acting for families as well as other interested parties. Diana instructed counsel assisting the Coroner in the Inquiry into the 2003 Canberra Bushfires. Some other examples include:
Advocacy coaching and membership of professional associations
Diana is a trained Senior Advocacy Instructor with the Australian Advocacy Institute and teaches in Victoria and interstate. She is an instructor with Monash University, the University of New South Wales and the Australian National University. She teaches, coaches and assesses students in the Victorian Bar Readers Course and at various law schools. Diana has taught at the Legal Training Institute in Papua New Guinea.
Diana is on the Greens List committee and the Gorman Chambers committee. She was a Director of Australian Women Lawyers between 2016 - 2018. She was Convenor of the Women Barristers Association between 2012 - 2015 and remained on its committee until 2020. Diana was a member of the Bar Readers Course Committee between 2016 - 2021. She was a member of the Student Engagement Committee between 2012 - 2015. In 2013 she was a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards.
Diana has had six readers, being James Penny, Ashlea Patterson, Catherine Jones Williams, Sophie Coulson, Odette Richwol and Bryony Seignior. She was also mentor with the Victorian Bar pilot mentoring program and with Women In Crime. Diana read with Sean Cash.
Background
Diana was admitted in the Australian Capital Territory in 2004, in New York in 2007 and in Victoria in 2009. Prior to joining the Bar Diana worked as a criminal lawyer at Victoria Legal Aid in 2010.
Diana passed the New York Bar Examination in 2007 and commenced work as a trial attorney at a non-profit law firm in Brooklyn between 2007 - 2009. She practiced in the busiest single-purpose court in the United States, representing children and young people in various legal proceedings.
Diana commenced her career in the Australian Capital Territory, where she was admitted in 2004. She was a prosecutor with the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions.
To discuss Diana's availability or for more information, please contact the Clerks at Greens List on +61 3 9225 7222.