This long-running annual conference brings together leading barristers, prosecutors and forensic experts to confront the real issues you face every day in NSW courts. Get practical guidance, fresh insights and the tools you need to navigate every stage of a case, from charge to sentence, with confidence and control including examination and cross-examination, expert evidence and disclosures. As a criminal lawyer, you are working in a system that’s changing faster than ever, tougher bail conditions, new evidentiary rules, complex visa implications, and ethical challenges around disclosure, privilege and AI.

Presenters

Kim Hunter, Criminal Defence & Immigration Lawyer, Accredited Specialist Immigration Law, Hunter Flood Lawyers
Kim Hunter is a criminal defence and immigration lawyer as well as an Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law from Hunter Flood Lawyers in Sydney. Kim has a law degree, 3 first places in law exams (Criminal law, evidence & succession), second place in Constitutional Law and 2 Butterworths Law prizes. Kim Has always had her own private law practice and since becoming an Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law now only practices in criminal defence and complex immigration matters. Kim has formerly lectured in post graduate law at Australian National University and regularly lectures for the Law Society of NSW, Legal Aid and various other professional bodies and organisations including the MIA and Law Council of Australia. Kim is on an expert panel for a research project led by Prof Alison Gerard and funded by the Australian Research Council, being undertaken by leading Professors from Charles Sturt, Flinders and Monash universities in Australia and Oxford University in the UK on the topic of ‘Crimmigration’ – the intersection of criminal and immigration laws in Australia.

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.


Liam McKibbin, Senior Solicitor, Legal Aid NSW
Liam McKibbin is a Senior Solicitor in the Centralised Bail Division of Legal Aid NSW, coordinating appearances in Courtroom 6 (Central Coast/Inner West Sydney) and Courtroom 7 (Downing Centre) of the Local Court. Prior to joining Legal Aid, Liam was a Senior Associate at Armstrong Legal, practising across summary and indictable criminal matters throughout NSW and the ACT. He previously served as a Senior Prosecutor with the NSW Police Force for eight years, appearing regularly at Burwood and Downing Centre Local Courts, and began his career as a police officer investigating street-level drug supply at Kings Cross LAC.

Stu Coote, Lawyer and Police Prosecutor, NSW Police Force
Stuart Coote is a New South Wales Police Prosector with over 15 years of court advocacy experience. As a prosecutor Stuart has run countless matters before the Local Court. This role has provided Stuart with critical insight into what makes for effective advocacy from either end of the bar table.

Arjun Chhabra, Barrister, Maurice Byers Chambers
Arjun specialises in appellate and judicial review matters. He practices in criminal law, public/administrative law, and family law. He focuses on issues of statutory interpretation, the limits of judicial and public power, and the admissibility of evidence. Arjun has authored several papers as well as the seminal evidence law text, Exclusionary Provisions in the Uniform Evidence Law, published by Thomson Reuters. Prior to joining the Bar, Arjun worked at various criminal law firms, commercial law firms, and investment banks in Australia, China, the Middle East, the UK, and Sub-Saharan Africa, including Baker & McKenzie, Clyde & Co, Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst) and Anthesis Capital.

Helen Roebuck, DNA Expert Witness, Principal, Roebuck Forensics
Helen Roebuck is a practising DNA expert witness with over 20 years of courtroom experience across Australia and select international jurisdictions. She provides authoritative oral and written expert testimony in complex and serious criminal matters, including homicide, sexual assault, firearms, and drug-related cases, delivering evidence in a clear, direct, and persuasive manner. As a Senior Forensic Biologist and Director at Roebuck Forensics, Helen brings extensive experience spanning crime scene investigation, laboratory analysis, academic research, and jurisdictional practice. She is currently undertaking her PhD at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), further deepening her expertise at the intersection of science and law. An active speaker and educator, Helen is passionate about fostering greater understanding and collaboration between the scientific and legal communities, with the goal of improving the quality and integrity of judicial outcomes.

Trudie Cameron, Principal Lawyer, 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 practice. Trudie is an accredited specialist in criminal law, practising exclusively in criminal and traffic law. 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.

Chanel Beesley, Barrister, Commercial Bank Chambers
Chanel is a dedicated criminal barrister with a strong commitment to justice and advocacy, particularly for disadvantaged communities. She was called to the Bar in 2025, bringing with her nearly a decade of frontline criminal law experience across both private and Legally aided matters. Chanel began her legal career volunteering with the Aboriginal Legal Service, where she developed a deep understanding of the challenges faced by Aboriginal clients within the criminal justice system. She went on to work with the prominent regional firm Ritchie Lawyers in Coffs Harbour, where she gained valuable experience in a wide range of criminal matters. Following this, Chanel joined Legal Aid NSW in Coffs Harbour, first as a criminal solicitor and later as the Crime Practice Manager. In this senior role, she advised on and appeared in complex indictable and summary matters, representing clients in the Local and District Courts of New South Wales. Her practice has included serious drug offences, violence-related charges, matters involving vulnerable child defendants and complex sexual matters. Chanel is known for her strategic thinking, courtroom advocacy, and unwavering commitment to her clients. Her practice at the Bar continues to focus on criminal defence, where she brings her extensive experience, regional insight, and deep sense of justice to every matter she undertakes.

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.

Sharyn Hall SC, Samuel Griffith Chambers
Sharyn Hall SC is a Senior Counsel with extensive experience in criminal law, coronial inquests, inquiries and royal commissions, Land and Environment Court Class 5 proceedings, and high-risk offender applications. She was admitted as a solicitor in NSW in 1999, became a barrister in 2007, and registered as a practitioner of the High Court of Australia in 2008. In 2021, Sharyn was appointed Senior Counsel in recognition of her expertise and professional achievements. Sharyn holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney. Her early career included work as a solicitor at the Western Aboriginal Legal Service and Legal Aid NSW, where she developed a strong commitment to social justice and advocacy for vulnerable clients. She also contributes to the legal profession as an advocacy instructor for the NSW Bar Association and the Australian Advocacy Institute. Sharyn is an active member of the NSW Bar Association’s Legal Aid Committee, supporting efforts to improve access to justice for disadvantaged communities. Known for her professionalism, advocacy skills, and dedication, Sharyn provides high-quality legal representation in complex and challenging matters.

Michael Gleeson, Barrister, Black Chambers
From March 2020 to March 2025 Michael had been employed by the Office Director of Public Prosecutions, (ODPP), as a Crown Prosecutor and regularly appeared in the NSW District Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Criminal Appeal during his 5-years with the ODPP. Called to the Bars of both England and Wales and New South Wales and having acquired a wealth of experience as a barrister in both jurisdictions, Michael’s principal areas of practice included criminal law, sports law, regulatory and compliance, as well as inquests and commissions of inquiry. He possesses widespread experience across a broad range of jurisdictions including the District Court of New South Wales, Industrial Relations Commission, Supreme Court of New South Wales, New South Wales Court of Appeal, New South Wales Crime Commission, Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and ACCC. Following ten successful years in continuous practise as a barrister in well-regarded chambers in the United Kingdon, Michael transferred his highly developed advocacy and advisory skills to Australia. Initially maintaining a mixed practice in common law, Michael later moved into specialising in complex and often high-profile criminal matters. Prior to his appointment as a Crown Prosecutor in 2020, he had developed a well-balanced practice prosecuting for the State and Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, as well as engaging in private and legally aided defence work. Michael’s extensive criminal practice covers the full spectrum of indictable criminal offences, including murder, armed robbery, sexual offences (encompassing historic child sexual abuse matters), fraud and large-scale public disorder. He has been regularly instructed to appear in multi-defendant cases for the prosecution and defence as a junior counsel or led by King’s Counsel/Senior Counsel. In addition to gaining substantial experience as a jury trial advocate, Michael has also appeared before the New South Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) in conviction and sentence appeals. He is also a member of the Serious Indictable Crime Panel and Complex Criminal Law Panel of Legal Aid NSW. Michael has a passion for sport, with such interest extending to his professional work as Counsel. An avid triathlete and runner, he was also appointed the legal director of Triathlon NSW for 8 years. Rumour has it Michael will be running the 2025 Sydney Marathon for charity.


Steven Wright, Associate Director Crime (South/West) Legal Aid NSW
Steven commenced at Legal Aid NSW in the graduate program and undertook various positions throughout regional NSW including Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Dubbo. He was the first Solicitor in Charge of the Broken Hill office of Legal Aid NSW. Steven has appeared in key cases and advocated for reform, particularly in relation to the the appropriate use of AVL for conferencing arrestees in remote locations. He continues this work as a Legal Aid representative of the Centralised Bails Advisory Committee. Steven is a keen advocate of Regional and Rural Practice and has been the Vice President and President of the Far West Law Society. In 2023 Steven was a finalist for the NSW Law Society Regional Practitioner of the Year. In 2024 Steven was appointed as the Associate Director of Crime (West and South) taking responsibility for regional and remote offices throughout NSW. He is the coordinator of the Legal Aid Crime Regional Graduate Program designed to intensively train graduate lawyers and then have them use those skills in regional NSW.