Criminal Law Conference 2025

You will walk out of this conference with a thorough understanding of the latest developments in criminal law. From the shared experience and expertise of members of the Judiciary relating to navigating the Drug Court and the new coercive control offence through to gaining a practical understanding of the new Bail Act amendments, you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge that you need. Throughout the day you will unpack digital access orders, essential jury skills and a practical understanding of digital forensics. Plus, gain your professional skills and ethics CPD units while exploring issues of paramount relevance to criminal practitioners.

Friday, 14 March 2025
Description

Attend and earn 7 CPD units including: 
4 units in Substantive Law 
1 unit in Ethics & Professional Responsibility 
2 units in Professional Skills
This program is based on NSW legislation

10.15am to 10.30am Morning Tea
10.30am to 11.15am Coercive Control and Family Law: Navigating their Complex Intersection

 

  • The new offence of coercive control and the longstanding use of this term in family law matters
  • The release of the Harman Undertaking and what documents can be of use in concurrent proceedings
  • Likely outcomes for clients charged with domestic violence offences in parenting matters
  • The impact domestic violence has and will have on property division  

Presented by Samantha Lewis, Principal and Director, Lewis Family Lawyers; Accredited Specialist in Family Law

11.15am to 12.15pm The New Bail Act Amendments

 

  • Recent changes to the Bail Act
  • Advice to clients charged with offences caught by the new legislation
  • Applications for bail and challenges for practitioners under the new scheme 

Presented by Eugene Renard, Barrister, Samuel Griffith Chambers

Session 2: Professional Skills and Ethics for Criminal Lawyers

Chair: Nicholas Cowdery AO KC FAAL, Former Director of Public Prosecutions for NSW (1994-2011), former Barrister (1971-2017), former Associate Judge of the District Court of NSW 

Professional Skills
3.00pm to 4.00pm Digital Forensic and Incident Response

 

  • Digital forensics and imaging: handling cases, activities and device security
  • Chain of custody & authority to perform investigations
  • Performing digital forensics on devices
  • Evidence preservation, and collection  

Presented by Andrew Constantine, Founder and Managing Director, CIO Cyber Security 

4.00pm to 4.15pm Afternoon Tea
Session 1: Domestic Violence, Bail, Drug Court and Digital Access Orders

Chair: Ian Lloyd KC, Trust Chambers; Recommended Criminal Law Senior Counsel, Doyle’s Guide 2024

9.00am to 9.30am VIEW FROM THE BENCH: Coercive and Control: Where are We Now and What We Have Learned

 

Presented by Deputy Chief Magistrate Freund, Local Court of New South Wales

9.30am to 10.15am VIEW FROM THE BENCH: Navigating the Drug Court, Compulsory Drug Correctional Centre

 

Presented by Senior Judge Mottley AM, Drug Court of New South Wales 

12.15pm to 1.15pm Digital Access Orders: Providing Advice and Evidentiary Considerations Points

 

While there was initially somewhat of a slow take up after the 1 February 2023 introduction of the power, there is now an increasing trend of NSW Police applying for and issuing Digital Access Orders under Part 5, Division 4A Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 

Examine:

  • What the order authorises police to do or request 
  • What advice should be provided to clients who are about to be subject to an order
  • The consequences of non-compliance
  • Evidentiary considerations in proceedings in which a digital access order was made, and in particular, excluding admissions which fall outside the scope of the order 

Presented by Trudie Cameron, Consulting Solicitor, Armstrong Legal; Leading Criminal Defence Lawyers, Doyle’s Guide 2024 

Professional Skills
2.00pm to 3.00pm Jury Skills

 

  • Strategies and tactics for solicitors and barristers to connect with juries   

Presented by Lisa-Claire Hutchinson, Barrister, Forbes Chambers, Leading Criminal Defence Lawyers, Doyle’s Guide 2024 

Ethics & Professional Responsibility
4.15pm to 5.15pm Ethical Issues Arising in Domestic Violence Matters

 

  • Contact with complainant
  • Advising accused persons
  • Advising reluctant complainants  

Presented by Michal Mantaj, Trial Advocate, Accredited Specialist Criminal Law

Presenters


Ian Lloyd KC, Trust Chambers
Ian Lloyd KC was called to the NSW Bar in 1977. He took silk in 1989. He is also a member of the bar in Hong Kong, New York and England & Wales. Mr Lloyd is one of Sydney’s leading criminal law silks. Mr Lloyd was during the 1980s a Senior Crown Counsel with the Hong Kong Government and in the early 1990s the Senior Crown Prosecutor for NSW. Mr Lloyd is also a former Justice of the Court of Appeal of the Fiji Islands and Conjoint Associate Professor with the University of Newcastle Law School. He has previously lectured in law at the University of Technology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Notre Dame, Sydney.


Senior Judge Mottley AM, Drug Court of New South Wales
Appointed as magistrate in 2000 following a 10 yr career working in Local Courts & 10 yrs with Legal Aid (ICLC & Manly). As a magistrate appointed to courts at Downing Centre, Burwood & the Parkes Circuit. Also held a commission as a Children’s Magistrate, presiding principally at Bidura & also the Youth Drug Court. In 2009 appointed as Deputy Chief Magistrate Downing Centre Local Court. While holding judicial office appointed as a Part-time member of the Law Reform Commission working on a variety of references including Bail, Sentencing & Early Appropriate Guilty Pleas. Also contributed to a number of working groups & committees including: NSW Corrective Services Women’s Advisory Committee, MERIT Steering Committee, Child Sex Assault Taskforce, Judicial Commission Ngara Yura committee & Domestic Violence Death Review team. 2017 appointed as Acting District Court Judge & Judge of the NSW Drug Court. 2021 appointed as Senior Judge of the NSW Drug Court.


Samantha Lewis, Principal and Director, Lewis Family Lawyers
Samantha Lewis is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law. Having over 15 years of experience in the law working in complex family law matters, Samantha is able to not only provide expert advice but can advocate for her clients at an exceptional level. With a background in criminal law, clients with all issues that arise in family law matters are able to feel supported, understood and well represented. Samantha regularly attends mediations and appears in the Family Court and the Federal Circuit Court in all states in Australia (except Western Australia) and has been successful in representing her clients in the following types of cases: International and interstate relocations; International property disputes involving anti-suit injunctions; Serious family violence cases involving simultaneous criminal proceedings; High net worth property division; Parenting matters involving children with special needs; Complex property divisions involving inheritances.


Eugene Renard, Barrister, Samuel Griffith Chambers
Eugene is a Barrister at Samuel Griffith Chambers. He specialises in criminal defence with a particular focus on jury and judge alone trials. He regularly appears unled for people charged with serious offences in the Local, District and Children’s Court and accepts briefs to appear in all Australian courts and tribunals including regional and remote locations across New South Wales and interstate. Prior to being called to the Bar, Eugene was a Solicitor Advocate at Legal Aid NSW and an accredited specialist in criminal law.


Andrew Constantine, Founder and Managing Director, CIO Cyber Security
Andrew Constantine is a cyber security red teamer - working with corporate ASX organisations to enhance their cyber security posture using cyber warfare and cyber security attack simulations to raise awareness. , He's the founder of CIO Cyber Security a private advisory firm working with Cyber Security Leaders to enhance and build a better response to attacks.


Michal Mantaj, Director, Trial Advocate, Conditsis Lawyers
Michal has over 18 years experience as a criminal law practitioner. In that time, Michal has advised and represented thousands of clients charged with criminal offences spaning the whole spectrum of the criminal law, from minor traffic matters to offences attracting a maximum penalty of life imprisonment such as murder and large scale drug trafficking. He has appeared as solicitor advocate in the Local, District, Supreme Courts and the Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal. Additionally, Michal is a Law Society accredited specialist in criminal law; a member and deputy chair of the Law Society Criminal Law Committee; a former lecturer at a Traffic Offender Intervention Program and frequently presents papers at MCLE seminars. Michal is a director at Conditsis Lawyers, where Michal and other advocates, accept instructions from other solicitors to appear in all matters including trials, in much the same way as solicitors would instruct counsel.


Deputy Chief Magistrate Freund, Local Court of New South Wales
Her Honour Magistrate Sharon Freund is a Magistrate of the Local Court of New South Wales in the Civil and Criminal Jurisdictions and a former Arbitrator of the District and Local Courts. She was formerly a Partner at Diamond Peisah practicing in all areas of commercial litigation. She is also the mother of 3 children.


Trudie Cameron, Consulting Solicitor, Armstrong Legal
Trudie Cameron is the Practice Director of Criminal Law (NSW) at Armstrong Legal. This role sees her responsible for supervising and managing the New South Wales Criminal Law team in addition to running her own criminal practice. Trudie is an accredited specialist in criminal law, practising in criminal law and traffic law. She also represents clients with respect to intentional torts matters involving proceedings against the NSW Police and/or Corrective Services. Trudie appears regularly in Local and District Courts in matters ranging from sentencing, defended hearings and severity and/or conviction appeals. Trudie has appeared as an instructing solicitor in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal and the High Court. Trudie also appears in the Magistrates and Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory.


Nicholas Cowdery AO KC FAAL, Former Director of Public Prosecutions for NSW, former Barrister, former Associate Judge of the District Court of NSW
Nicholas Cowdery AO KC FAAL Former Director of Public Prosecutions for NSW (1994-2011), former Barrister (1971-2017), former Associate Judge of the District Court of NSW (periods in 1988, 89 and 90), inaugural member of the NSW Sentencing Council (2003-2016), inaugural Co-Chair Human Rights Institute of International Bar Association (1995-2001), former President International Association of Prosecutors (1999-2005) and Chair of its Senate, former President and Committee member NSW Council for Civil Liberties, Adjunct Professor of Law at Universities of Sydney and of NSW, a director of the Justice Reform Initiative, member of the NSW Bar Association Criminal Law Committee and the Law Council of Australia National Human Rights Committee.


Lisa-Claire Hutchinson, Barrister, Forbes Chambers

253N23

Criminal Law Conference 2025

CHOOSE YOUR SESSION AND
DELIVERY MODE BELOW

All Sessions
Friday, 14 March 2025
9.00am to 5.15pm Australia/Sydney
CPD Points 7
$795.00
$556.50
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Morning Session
Friday, 14 March 2025
9.00am to 1.15pm Australia/Sydney
CPD Points 4
$505.00
$353.50
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Afternoon Session
Friday, 14 March 2025
2.00pm to 5.15pm Australia/Sydney
CPD Points 3
$420.00
$294.00
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Venue
Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park

161 Elizabeth Street, Sydney 2000

Directions

Nearby transport options:

Bus Station: Hyde Park, Park St, Stand C 

Metro Station: St James Station 

Train Station: St. James Station 

Parking Information

Parking is not included in your registration. Here are some nearby parking options:

Sheraton Hotel Car Park - Secure car park entry is via Castlereagh Street, it has 8 electric charging stations. Early Bird Parking Rate is $45 if you arrive before 9am and depart before 6pm. Further information can be found here.

201 Elizabeth St Car Park - Located a 2 minute walk away from Sheraton Grand. Entry via Castlereagh Street. Click here for rates. 

Wilson Parking Citigroup Centre Car Park - Located a 5 minute walk away from Sheraton Grand. Entry: 271 Pitt St. Click here for rates.