Presenters

Liam McAuliffe, Crown Prosecutor, Office of Public Prosecutions Victoria
Liam practises in public and administrative law, common law, regulatory law, quasi-criminal and criminal law. He regularly appears in the County Court and the Magistrates' Court. He has significant experience in matters under the Serious Offenders Act 2018, and under the Crimes Mental Impairment (Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997. Liam is experienced in regulatory prosecutions and in professional disciplinary matters. He also maintains an appellate practice relating to criminal law matters. He appears in coronial inquests, judicial review proceedings, public interest immunity matters, as well as confidentiality and suppression order proceedings. He also appears in VCAT in public law and human rights matters, merits review proceedings, privacy law and professional conduct matters. Liam in currently participating in the 2024 VLA Trial Counsel Development Program.


His Honour Judge Frank Gucciardo, County Court of Victoria
Signed Roll of Counsel of the Victorian Bar 1983; Extensive practice in Criminal Law in the County and Supreme Court of Victoria, 1983- 2008; Appointed to the County Court of Victoria in 2008; Instructor at Victorian Bar Reader’s Course since 1989- 2019 (Workshop on Interpreters, Plea making, General and Jury Trial Advocacy, Criminal Certificate Accreditation Seminars and Police Prosecutors examination moots); Instructor for Australian Advocacy Institute, 1994--2019, including as Teacher in the LL.B. undergraduate course in Trial Advocacy at Monash University Campus in Prato, Italy; instructor for Victoria Legal Aid in Trial Counsel Accreditation workshops; Chairman of the County Court Professional Development Committee 2011-2016; Member of the  Court’s Media Committee 2010-2017; Member of the Strategic Planning Committee of Court Services Victoria 2015-2018; Co-Sponsor Judge of the County Court Resilience and Reflective Practice Program; Occasional faculty member for seminars of the Judicial College of Victoria; Speaker on Judicial Wellness at a number of recent Conferences in Australia and New Zealand; Recent past Council Alternate Member of the National Judicial College of Australia and past member of the College’s Programs Advisory Committee; Member of the County Court Judicial Security Working group and County Court Judicial Wellbeing Committee 2024-5.


Sam Norton, Partner, Stary Norton Halphen
Sam is an accredited criminal law specialist and is ranked in the Doyle’s guide as a Preeminent Criminal Defence lawyer and a Leading Traffic and Drink Driving lawyer – the highest ranking categories available. He has extensive experience as an advocate having appeared in trials, plea hearings and bail applications in the Supreme and County Courts as well as innumerable matters in the Magistrates’ Court. Sam was admitted to practice in 2001, and obtained specialist accreditation in Criminal Law 2008. He is the Senior Vice President of Liberty Victoria and is a former Co-Chair of the Criminal Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV). In 2015 he received a Service Award from the Law Institute in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the LIV and to the profession. Sam has also previously been a Volunteer at the Inner Melbourne Legal Service.

Presenters

Liam McAuliffe, Crown Prosecutor, Office of Public Prosecutions Victoria
Liam practises in public and administrative law, common law, regulatory law, quasi-criminal and criminal law. He regularly appears in the County Court and the Magistrates' Court. He has significant experience in matters under the Serious Offenders Act 2018, and under the Crimes Mental Impairment (Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997. Liam is experienced in regulatory prosecutions and in professional disciplinary matters. He also maintains an appellate practice relating to criminal law matters. He appears in coronial inquests, judicial review proceedings, public interest immunity matters, as well as confidentiality and suppression order proceedings. He also appears in VCAT in public law and human rights matters, merits review proceedings, privacy law and professional conduct matters. Liam in currently participating in the 2024 VLA Trial Counsel Development Program.


His Honour Judge Frank Gucciardo, County Court of Victoria
Signed Roll of Counsel of the Victorian Bar 1983; Extensive practice in Criminal Law in the County and Supreme Court of Victoria, 1983- 2008; Appointed to the County Court of Victoria in 2008; Instructor at Victorian Bar Reader’s Course since 1989- 2019 (Workshop on Interpreters, Plea making, General and Jury Trial Advocacy, Criminal Certificate Accreditation Seminars and Police Prosecutors examination moots); Instructor for Australian Advocacy Institute, 1994--2019, including as Teacher in the LL.B. undergraduate course in Trial Advocacy at Monash University Campus in Prato, Italy; instructor for Victoria Legal Aid in Trial Counsel Accreditation workshops; Chairman of the County Court Professional Development Committee 2011-2016; Member of the  Court’s Media Committee 2010-2017; Member of the Strategic Planning Committee of Court Services Victoria 2015-2018; Co-Sponsor Judge of the County Court Resilience and Reflective Practice Program; Occasional faculty member for seminars of the Judicial College of Victoria; Speaker on Judicial Wellness at a number of recent Conferences in Australia and New Zealand; Recent past Council Alternate Member of the National Judicial College of Australia and past member of the College’s Programs Advisory Committee; Member of the County Court Judicial Security Working group and County Court Judicial Wellbeing Committee 2024-5.


Sam Norton, Partner, Stary Norton Halphen
Sam is an accredited criminal law specialist and is ranked in the Doyle’s guide as a Preeminent Criminal Defence lawyer and a Leading Traffic and Drink Driving lawyer – the highest ranking categories available. He has extensive experience as an advocate having appeared in trials, plea hearings and bail applications in the Supreme and County Courts as well as innumerable matters in the Magistrates’ Court. Sam was admitted to practice in 2001, and obtained specialist accreditation in Criminal Law 2008. He is the Senior Vice President of Liberty Victoria and is a former Co-Chair of the Criminal Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV). In 2015 he received a Service Award from the Law Institute in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the LIV and to the profession. Sam has also previously been a Volunteer at the Inner Melbourne Legal Service.