With major reforms now in effect in Queensland and New South Wales, this forum examines domestic violence, coercive control, and sexual offences across jurisdictions, focusing on legislative reforms, new techniques, and strategies to navigate this evolving landscape .Join leading judges, barristers, and prosecutors as they share insights and practical advocacy strategies essential for effective practice in this complex area of law. Explores how these offences are interpreted and applied in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and beyond, providing you with a clear, cross-jurisdictional understanding.

Presenters

Rebecca Fogerty, Partner, Jasper Fogerty Lawyers
Rebecca Fogerty is a highly regarded advocate who provides advice and representation for all criminal cases across Queensland. She is a Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law. She was named in the 2017 and 2018 Doyle's Guide of Leading Lawyers and is the Deputy Chair of the Criminal Law Committee of the Queensland Law Society. Prior to establishing Jasper Fogerty Lawyers, Rebecca was a senior lawyer at one of Queensland's largest private criminal defence firms. She handled complex indictable matters, including murder, drug trafficking and white-collar crime. During this period Rebecca developed her reputation for thorough preparation, strategic case analysis and persuasive courtroom advocacy. Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from the University of Queensland. Her psychology background and excellent people skills enable her to successfully navigate clients through the criminal justice process. Part of Rebecca's success is due to her client-centered approach and unwavering commitment to achieving the best possible outcome. Rebecca appears in all courts throughout Queensland and has proven experience in fraud and white-, collar crime, employment related misconduct, drug trafficking, CCC hearings, assaults and drink driving and traffic offences. Outside of the courtroom, Rebecca has written articles for publication in a range of formats, including the Courier Mail and the Caxton Lawyers Handbook (online edition). She has appeared before Queensland Parliamentary committees to discuss criminal law policy and regularly speaks on topics of interest to the profession.


Professor Felicity Gerry KC, Crockett Chambers
Dr Felicity Gerry KC is an international barrister at Crockett Chambers, Melbourne, Libertas Chambers London, and Professor of Legal Practice at Deakin University. Labelled “The International Dynamo”, Felicity has been recognised for her work across jurisdictions on career defining cases including in the UK Supreme Court on #jointenterprise law, the High Court of Australia on rights to second appeal, a due diligence memorandum on investment listing on SGX for Justice for Myanmar, which led to the $82m divestment of the Golden City scheme and for her role in saving a trafficked woman from death row in Indonesia. She is leading the legal petition for Christine Keeler to receive a posthumous pardon after the fallout of one of Britain’s biggest ever political scandal, The Profumo Affair, in the 1960s. Her successful petition for mercy for Zak Grieve, a young Indigenous man in Australia, has been described as “rock star lawyering”. Admitted in the International Criminal Court (ICC) & Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) in The Hague, in England & Wales and Australia (Victoria & High Court Roll) and has had ad hoc admission in Hong Kong and Gibraltar. Currently defending at the ICC on the Al Hassan team and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers leading the Bahtijari team and has led for the defence in major terrorism and homicide trials. Felicity holds a PhD on human trafficking and is regularly called upon to handle complex and sensitive matters at trial and on appeal. She has appeared on all major news channels and is an expert on issues relating to women and law, technology and law and reform of justice systems. She is currently Senior Anti-Human Trafficking Expert Consultant and Trainer for Lawyers Without Borders.


Her Honour Judge Sarah Farnden KC, District Court of Queensland
Her Honour was appointed to the District Court in Brisbane in June 2025. Prior to her appointment she was a barrister and King’s Counsel with a practice primarily focused in conducting criminal trials and appeals for both the prosecution and defence.


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.


Carolina Soto, Barrister, Black Chambers
Carolina Soto was called to the Bar in 2018 and maintains a practice in criminal and family law. She has appeared unled at trial level in a broad range of jurisdictions including the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Supreme, District, Local and Children’s courts across NSW. She appears at the Mental Health Review Tribunal and acts within the Guardianship division of NCAT. Carolina’s practice also extends to international jurisdictions, including Vanuatu where she was called to the Bar in Vanuatu in 2023 and appeared in the Court of Appeal thereafter. Carolina often appears across both family and criminal jurisdictions and it is the intersection between these two disciplines that enables her to provide effective advice and representation of clients in complex parenting matters where criminal allegations are made, or issues of risk are involved. She has expertise and interest in domestic violence jurisprudence and has presented widely on such topics. She lectures extensively in criminal law, children and the law, human rights law, trial practice and procedure at the University of New England, Western Sydney University and the University of New South Wales. She is currently an advocacy instructor at the College of Law and recently completed the Pathways to Politics Program for Women at the University of New South Wales. Prior to being called to the Bar, Carolina practised as a criminal Legal Aid lawyer for a decade, worked as the Associate to His Honour Judge Williams in the District Court and interned at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland.


Elleni Zacharia, Associate, Hugo Law Group
Elleni has a deep understanding of criminal law and procedure, advocacy, and strategy through exposure to a wide range of criminal matters. She has practised exclusively as a criminal defence lawyer throughout her legal career, working on numerous high-profile and complex matters, including murder and sexual assault. She regularly appears in all jurisdictions across NSW in applications, hearings, sentences, trials, and appeals, and also has interstate experience in Queensland. Achieving the best outcome for clients is Elleni’s paramount concern. As a passionate and persuasive advocate, she relishes scrutinising and challenging the merits of the prosecution’s brief of evidence. In complex matters, she works effectively alongside barristers to achieve successful outcomes. Elleni will guide clients through what can be a daunting legal process with expertise, empathy, and an unwavering dedication to defending their rights. This year, her success as a criminal defence lawyer was recognised with a nomination as a Finalist in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards in Criminal Law.