Our Chambers advocates provide high-quality representation for clients with a grant of legal assistance in criminal law, civil law, child protection and family law. They appear in all Victorian courts and tribunals, the Federal Court, the Family Court and the High Court of Australia. Chambers advocates are experienced in assisting clients with complex needs.
Chambers advocates can be briefed to appear for clients by Victoria Legal Aid lawyers and private practitioners on our panels.
To engage the services of our advocates or to get further information, please contact Victoria Legal Aid Chambers on:
- phone – (03) 9269 0300
- email – advocates_clerk@vla.vic.gov.au
Chief counsel and associate director
Chief Counsel
Julia Munster (she/her)
Admitted to the legal profession: admitted in 1993 and began practising in 2003
Julia leads the team of specialist in-house advocates in Victoria Legal Aid Chambers. She is a member of our Senior Leadership Team and plays a leadership role in organisational, policy and law reform issues. She supports and fosters high-quality advocacy across our state-wide civil justice, criminal law and family and children's law practices, and leads our Equitable Briefing Strategy project.
Julia has lived in regional areas most of her life and is committed to postcode access to justice and providing high quality and compassionate representation to First Nations clients and clients with complex needs.
Julia joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers as a public defender in 2011 and was appointed senior public defender in 2016 and chief counsel in 2020.
Julia is an experienced trial advocate and practices primarily in criminal law and appears in all criminal jurisdictions. She has significant experience in complex sexual offence matters. Julia also practices in public law / administrative law matters which intersect with criminal law: matters under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act, Serious Offenders Act, inquests and judicial review.
Before joining Victoria Legal Aid, Julia was a solicitor advocate for seven years in the Alice Springs office of the Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission. Julia practiced in crime, mental health, and family and children's law, and was an accredited family dispute resolution practitioner (since lapsed). Before that, she worked for 10 years as an anthropologist on land and native title rights and heritage protection projects for the Central Land Council.
Julia is available to be briefed in complex criminal law matters and some public law matters.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Master of Laws (2024, The University of Melbourne)
- Bachelor Arts (Hons)/Bachelor of Laws (1993, Monash University)
- Accredited Criminal Law Specialist (since 2012)
- Co-Chair Law Institute of Victoria Accredited Specialisation Criminal Law Advisory Committee
- Member of Law Institute of Victoria, Victorian Women Lawyers, and Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law.
Associate Director
Madeline Ryan
Admitted to the legal profession: 2015
Madeline joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in 2024 as associate director.
In this role Madeline manages the operations of Chambers and provides strategic support to chief counsel on organisational, policy and law reform and service delivery issues. Madeline oversees the Trial Counsel Development Program (for junior trial advocates at the Bar), the Advocacy Development Program (for Victoria Legal Aid’s in-house practitioners) and works on a range of other advocacy development and organisational initiatives including the Equitable Briefing Strategy.
Madeline has been with Victoria Legal Aid since 2012, first in Community Legal Education then as a criminal lawyer. Since 2019, Madeline has been leading legal and non-legal teams and service delivery in metropolitan and regional areas.
Madeline has a practice background in criminal law.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Juris Doctor
- Master of Communications
- Bachelor of Arts.
Criminal Law
Senior public defenders
Amy Peek-Lasry
Admitted to the legal profession: 2009
Signed Victorian Bar Roll: 2015
Amy joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers as a senior public defender in 2024.
Prior to her appointment to this role, Amy was a barrister at the Victorian Bar for nine years. While at the Bar, Amy’s criminal practice included complex defence and prosecution trials, appeals, committal proceedings, contested hearings, supervision order applications, fitness hearings and pleas.
She has experience in areas including terrorism, white collar crime, child exploitation, sexual offences, honesty offences and violence offences.
Amy also accepts briefs in enquiries and administrative matters.
In addition to her experience at the Victorian Bar, Amy worked for 12 months as in-house counsel at Djirra’s Aboriginal Family Violence Legal Service over 2020–2021. In that role Amy undertook complex appearance work and advised Djirra on compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements.
Before coming to the Bar, Amy was senior associate to the Honourable Justice Hollingworth at the Supreme Court of Victoria. She also worked for the Judicial College of Victoria and Norton Rose Fulbright. Amy read with Sally Flynn KC and her senior mentor was Justice Rowena Orr.
Amy is available to be briefed in:
- appeals against conviction and sentence in the Court of Appeal
- Supreme and County Court trials, pleas, appeals, breaches, bail applications
- appeals on a question of law to the Supreme Court of Victoria
- Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 matters
- complex Children’s Court matters (criminal division)
- complex contested committals
- inquests
- advice on complex criminal and administrative matters.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Juris Doctor
- Master of Arts
- Bachelor of Arts (Hons)
- Indictable Crime Certificate
- Member of Criminal Bar Association.
Angie Wong
Admitted to the legal profession: 2010
Signed the Victorian Bar Roll: 2013
Angie is an experienced advocate who practices in the areas of indictable crime, administrative law and judicial review. Angie joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in 2018 from the Bar, where she practised in criminal and civil law. She previously worked as a civil solicitor at Victoria Legal Aid and prior to that as a criminal solicitor at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency.
Angie is available to be briefed in matters including:
- County Court trials
- as junior in Supreme Court trials
- committals
- pleas (County and Supreme courts)
- appeals
- judicial review proceedings.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Laws (Hons)/Bachelor of Arts
- member of Criminal Bar Association
- member of Women Barrister's Association.
Daniel McGlone
Admitted to the legal profession: 1997
Signed Victorian Bar Roll: 2007
Daniel is a trial advocate with extensive experience in criminal law, administrative law and human rights. He regularly appears in the Magistrates’, County and Supreme Courts, in both metropolitan and rural Victoria. He holds a current Indictable Crime Certificate through the Victorian Bar and has been a Victoria Legal Aid Preferred Trial Barrister since 2015. Previously he worked in management, advocacy, legal education, aboriginal controlled organisations, policy and ministerial advice.
Daniel is available to be briefed in:
- appellate work including applications for special leave to the High Court, appeals against conviction and sentence in the Court of Appeal as well as appeals to the Supreme Court on a question of law.
- immigration law matters in the Federal Court, particularly those pertaining to refugees
- trials, pleas, appeals, breach proceedings, and bail applications in both the Supreme and County Court
- contested committals
- matters involving the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 and the Serious Offenders Act 2018
- coronial inquests
- advice and case strategy discussions.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Master of Laws
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Arts (Hons)
- member of Criminal Bar Association.
Emma Strugnell
Admitted to the legal profession: 2013
Signed Victorian Bar Roll: 2018
Emma has joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in April 2025. Prior to that, she was a barrister at the private Bar from 2018. Her practice at the Bar included prosecution and defence work. She also appeared in fitness investigations and special hearings, quasi criminal proceedings and inquests. As a solicitor prior to joining the Bar, Emma worked for Victoria Legal Aid's Dandenong, Broadmeadows and Ringwood offices. Emma read with Megan Tittensor and her Senior Mentor was Peter Morrissey SC. She was selected for the Victoria Legal Aid Trial counsel Development Program in 2020.
Emma is available to be briefed in:
- Supreme Court Trials (as Junior Counsel)
- County Court trials, pleas, appeals and bail applications
- contested committals
- appeals against sentence and conviction to the Court of Appeal
- judicial review proceedings and applications for special leave to the High Court of Australia
- matters involving the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 and Serious Offenders Act 2018
- complex Children's Court matters (criminal division)
- inquests.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- PhD (History)
- Juris Doctor
- Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts (First Class Hons)
- Indictable Crime Certificate
- member of Criminal Bar Association and Women Barrister’s Association.
Naomi Smith
Admitted to the legal profession: 2004
Signed Victorian Bar Roll: 2008
Naomi joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers as a senior public defender in 2018.
Prior to her appointment to Victoria Legal Aid Chambers, Naomi spent 10 years at the Victorian Bar both prosecuting and defending criminal cases.
Upon completion of her articles, she worked as a solicitor in personal injuries law for Traffic Accident Commission (TAC) law. She then went on to work for Victoria Legal Aid and the Office of Public Prosecutions and obtained Law Institute of Victoria accreditation as Specialist in Criminal Law, before joining the Bar.
Naomi is regularly briefed to appear in County Court and Supreme Court criminal trials, pleas, appeals, and bail applications.
Naomi is available to be briefed in:
- Supreme and County Court trials, pleas, breaches and appeals
- complex contested committals
- complex Children's Court matters (criminal division)
- Supreme and County Court bail applications
- matters involving the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 and Serious Offenders Act 2018
- inquests
- complex advice matters.
Naomi is an experienced, supportive and enthusiastic teacher, advocacy coach and mentor for less experienced practitioners. She is also a consultant for the Monash Law Faculty regarding advocacy and court skills contracts with external clients.
In addition to being a barrister, Naomi is also a civil celebrant and has had the honour of marrying many friends and colleagues.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce
- accredited criminal law specialist
- accredited advocacy instructor with the Australian Advocacy Institute
- member of Criminal Bar Association.
Nick Goodenough
Admitted to the Legal Profession: 1991
Signed Victorian Bar Roll: 2011
Nick is an experienced criminal trial barrister. He joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers from the Victorian Bar in 2022.
After admission, Nick worked for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions in Adelaide, Canberra and Sydney for 8 years, in war crime matters and general prosecutions.
In 1999, he worked for Legal Aid in Fiji for 12 months.
On his return to Australia, Nick moved to Victoria Legal Aid, where he was variously a duty lawyer, indictable crime solicitor and manager. During his time at Victoria Legal Aid, he took on a 6-month secondment to work as a prosecutor through Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) in the Solomon Islands. He remained at Victoria Legal Aid until 2008, after which he relocated to Madang in Papua New Guinea and worked as a regionally based prosecutor.
After 2.5 years in Papua New Guinea, Nick returned to Victoria in 2011 and joined the private Bar, where he worked exclusively in criminal law. He developed a strong defence and prosecution practice, and regularly appeared in complex trials in the County Court. He also appeared in the Supreme Court.
Nick is available to be briefed in:
- Supreme and County Court trials, pleas and bail applications
- Court of Appeal matters
- supervision order hearings under the Serious Offender Act and Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
- breach proceedings
- complex committals
- complex Children's Court matters
- advice and case strategy discussions.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Master of Laws
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Arts
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
- Accredited Advocacy Trainer
- Indictable Crime Certificate.
Senior public defender (Criminal law judicial review and strategic litigation)
Julia Kretzenbacher
Admitted to the legal profession: 2013
Signed Victorian Bar Roll: 2017
Julia is an experienced advocate and practises in criminal law, administrative law and judicial review. Prior to her appointment as a Senior Public Defender, Julia was a barrister at the private bar practising in criminal, administrative and commercial law. At the Bar, her criminal practice included complex defence and prosecution trials, appeals, committal proceedings, contested hearings and pleas.
Before joining the Bar, Julia was a Senior Associate at the Court of Appeal for the Hon Justice Santamaria.
She previously worked as a criminal solicitor at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency and as a solicitor at Arnold Bloch Leibler.
In addition to her practice as a barrister, Julia regularly presents professional legal education on topics including criminal law and procedure and evidence. Julia has been a sessional academic at Monash University and Deakin University. She was the President of Liberty Victoria in 2020-2021 and was a Liberty Victoria Committee member from 2017 to 2024.
Julia is available to be briefed in:
- County Court trials, pleas, appeals, breach proceedings and bail applications
- Supreme Court bail applications, pleas and as junior in Supreme Court trials
- Court of Appeal appeals
- matters involving the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 and Serious Offenders Act 2018
- complex Children's Court matters (Criminal Division)
- complex Magistrates' Court matters – contested committals, contested hearings, pleas, bail applications
- judicial review and appeals on questions of law
- advice on complex criminal and administrative matters and strategic litigation
- inquests.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Master of Laws
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Laws (Hons)
- Indictable Crime Certificate
- member of Criminal Bar Association.
Public defenders
Amanda Hurst
Admitted to the legal profession: 1998
Signed Victoria Bar Roll: 2007
Amanda joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers from the bar in 2023.
Prior to joining chambers, Amanda enjoyed a successful career for 16 years at the Bar having worked primarily in criminal law, child protection and intervention orders matters.
Amanda is based in Victoria Legal Aid's Geelong office and appears in complex criminal law matters across the south-west of Victoria including Warrnambool, Ballarat and Horsham.
Amanda is a sessional member of the Mental Health Tribunal.
Prior to working in the law, Amanda worked as a state-enrolled nurse, a cleaner and a residential care work for people in community residential care units. Amanda has also worked in theatre production and toured with Back to Back Theatre company.
Amanda is able to be briefed for mentoring and advocacy support on matters.
Amanda can be briefed to appear in the following matters, including across remote areas of Western Victoria:
- Magistrates' Court matters - committal mentions, committals, pleas, contests
- County Court – appeals, pleas, and trials, special hearings, supervision orders
- Coroners Court hearings
- Children's Court criminal matters
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Laws
- member of Children's and Criminal Bar Association
- peer support barrister for Victoria Bar
- current sessional legal member of Mental Health Tribunal Victoria.
Danielle Lamovie
Admitted to the legal profession: 1992
Danielle has been with Victoria Legal Aid Chambers since 2009. Prior to this, she was at Victoria Legal Aid as the managing lawyer Summary Crime, managing lawyer Ballarat, and acting managing lawyer at Morwell. Danielle started working as an advocate with regional offices after working as an indictable lawyer in criminal law and as a senior lawyer in youth crime.
Prior to Victoria Legal Aid, Danielle spent 5 years working for Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service.
Danielle has experience appearing in a range of criminal law matters across the Magistrates' Court, Children's Court, County Court and Supreme Court.
Danielle is available to be briefed in:
- County Court trials, pleas, appeals and breach proceedings
- committal mentions
- contested committal hearings and committal mentions
- Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act matters
- complex Magistrates' Court contested hearings
- County Court and Supreme Court bail applications
- advice matters.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Master of Laws
- Bachelor of Arts (Hons)/Bachelor of Laws
- accredited criminal law specialist.
Daniel Thomas
Admitted to the legal profession: 2015
Daniel joined Chambers as an Associate Public Defender in 2022.
Prior to joining Chambers, Daniel was a Senior Advocate with the Victoria Legal Aid Youth Crime team where he was briefed as in-house counsel to appear in complex criminal proceedings in the Children's Court. In addition to his work with Victoria Legal Aid, Daniel has worked over a number of years as a Senior Lawyer with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service and Stary Norton Halphen.
Daniel has experience in a broad range of summary and indictable matters for adults and children and has appeared as a solicitor advocate across Victoria and the Northern Territory.
Daniel is available to be briefed in:
- County Court trials, pleas, appeals and breach proceedings
- complex Magistrates' Court matters – contested committals, contested hearings, pleas, bail applications
- complex Children's Court matters (criminal division)
- bail applications (all courts).
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Juris Doctor.
Darcy Dempsey
Admitted to the legal profession: 2007
Darcy joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in January 2017 from the Indictable Crime Team, Victoria Legal Aid. Prior to joining Victoria Legal Aid in 2015 she was employed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (ATSILS) as a solicitor advocate in Townsville, responsible for managing all indictable matters and Children's Court matters.
Prior to ATSILS, Darcy was an associate with Stary, Norton, Halphen Lawyers (SNH), in Melbourne, managing a busy summary and indictable practice. Before working at SNH she was employed as a solicitor advocate at Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service. Darcy began her career in law in 2007 as associate to Her Honour Judge Gaynor in the County Court.
Darcy is available to be briefed in:
- County Court trials, pleas, appeals, breach proceedings and bail applications
- Supreme Court bail applications, pleas and as junior in Supreme Court trials
- Court of Appeal sentence appeals
- matters involving the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 and Serious Offenders Act
- complex Children's Court matters (Criminal Division).
- complex Magistrates' Court matters – contested committals, contested hearings, pleas, bail applications
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Master of International Studies
- Post-graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Arts
Glenn Cooper
Admitted to the legal profession: 2015
Glenn joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in 2021 and was appointed Public Defender in late 2023. He is based at our Bendigo office.
Prior to joining Victoria Legal Aid Chambers, Glenn was a senior lawyer in Victoria Legal Aid's Indictable Crime Team. He also worked for a number of years as a criminal lawyer at the Victoria Legal Aid Bendigo office and in his spare time taught criminal law for La Trobe University in Bendigo.
Glenn appears in a range of complex criminal law matters. He has significant experience representing clients in contested matters under the Serious Offender Act jurisdiction and has appeared unled in Supervision Order hearings in the County Court and as junior counsel in Detention Order applications in the Supreme Court.
Glenn is available to be briefed in:
- County Court pleas, appeals and breach proceedings
- counsel in County Court and junior counsel in Supreme Court trials
- bail applications (all courts)
- committal hearings and committal mentions
- Magistrates' Court contested hearings
- complex Children's Court matters
- Serious Offender Act matters – supervision orders and detention orders.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Business
- accredited specialist in Criminal Law (2020)
- member of Law Institute of Victoria.
Honorah Edwards
Admitted to the legal profession: 2016
Honorah joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers as an Associate Public Defender in 2022 and was appointed Public Defender in 2023.
Prior to joining Chambers, Honorah worked as senior solicitor advocate with the Office of Public Prosecutions, where she was briefed to appear in complex summary and indictable matters across Victoria.
Before this, Honorah was a lawyer with Victoria Police appearing in criminal and quasi-criminal matters in the Children's Court and Magistrates' Court of Victoria.
Honorah is available to be briefed in:
- County Court and County Koori Court pleas, conviction and sentence appeals, breach/contravention proceedings
- bail applications (all courts)
- counsel in County Court trials and junior counsel in Supreme Court trials
- complex Magistrates' Court matters including contested committals, contested hearings, contested Sex Offenders Registration Act (SORA) applications and plea hearings
- Supreme Court bail applications
- matters under the Crimes Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried Act 1997
- complex Children's Court (Criminal Division) matters
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Laws (Hons) / Bachelor of Arts (Dist).
Iresha Siriwardana
Admitted to the legal profession: 2009 in New South Wales, 2016 in Victoria
Iresha joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers as an Associate Public Defender in 2022.
She came to chambers from the Victoria Legal Aid indictable crime team, where she had worked since 2018.
From 2016–18, Iresha was a solicitor with the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions and worked within the appeals team, specialist sex offences unit (as it was then) and a general trial division. She was involved in preparing openings, drafting indictments and instructing in trials.
Before this she was a solicitor with the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions. She commenced working as a graduate in Sydney however then progressed to working as a senior solicitor in regional NSW in Western NSW (Dubbo, Bourke and Cobar) and later Northern NSW (Lismore, Tweed Heads, Armidale). She appeared in the local Court, District and Supreme Court.
Iresha is available to be briefed in:
- County Court and County Koori Court pleas, conviction and sentence appeals, breach/contravention proceedings, bail applications and as a junior in trials
- Supreme Court bail applications
- complex Magistrates' Court matters including contested committals, contested hearings, bail applications, contested Sex Offenders Registration Act (SORA) applications and plea hearings.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws
- accredited specialist in Criminal Law.
John Blackley
Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2017
John joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in 2023 from the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) where he worked as a trial advocate.
During his tenure at NAAJA John appeared in complex and challenging summary and indictable matters, covering the top end of the Northern Territory. He has appeared unled in trials in the Supreme Court and in many contested Magistrates' Court matters.
Prior to working in the Northern Territory, John worked in private practice in Victoria.
Living and working in regional areas has provided him with an opportunity to develop a strong appreciation of the needs of complex clients.
John is available to be briefed in:
- County Court trials, pleas, appeals and bail applications
- junior in Supreme Court trials
- supervision order hearings under the Serious Offender Act and Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
- breach proceedings
- complex committals
- complex Children's Court matters (criminal division)
- advice and case strategy discussions.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Social Science (Criminology).
Associate public defenders
Alex McLennan
Admitted to the legal profession: 2009
Alex joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in 2024 and is based at our Bendigo office. Although he appears primarily in the Bendigo, Ballarat and Shepparton regions, he accepts briefs all over Victoria (including Melbourne).
Having lived and worked in regional areas for many years, Alex is committed to providing high quality representation to clients across the state.
Prior to joining Chambers Alex was a senior lawyer in Victoria Legal Aid's Bendigo office, where he ran a busy indictable and summary crime practice. He has also worked at Victoria Legal Aid’s Shepparton office, where he held roles including Managing Lawyer and Deputy Managing Lawyer.
Before joining Victoria Legal Aid, Alex spent two years as a lawyer at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service.
Alex is available to be briefed in:
- County Court pleas, conviction and sentence appeals, contravention proceedings
- contested committal hearings and committal mentions
- Magistrates’ Court contested hearings
- Children’s Court matters
- bail applications in all courts.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Arts.
Courtney Marthick
Admitted to the legal profession: 2016
Courtney joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in 2024.
Courtney is based in Melbourne but available to accept briefs all over Victoria. Having lived and worked in remote areas, she has a strong commitment to and understanding of the importance of regional work.
Prior to joining Chambers Courtney was a leading figure in criminal practice at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency. She held various key roles there including Acting Managing Solicitor of Crime, Senior Criminal Lawyer and East Arnhem Manager.
Prior to her work in the Northern Territory, Courtney worked as a Judge’s Associate and Criminal Division Lawyer in the County Court of Victoria. Courtney commenced her legal career as a solicitor advocate at a busy private criminal practice in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.
Courtney has significant experience working with First Nations clients and clients with complex needs and vulnerabilities.
Courtney is available to be briefed in:
- County Court and Koori Court pleas, conviction and sentence appeals, contravention proceedings, as a junior in trials
- contested committal hearings and committal mentions
- Magistrates’ Court contested hearings
- complex Magistrates’ Court pleas
- Children’s Court matters
- family violence intervention order contested hearings
- bail applications in all courts
- matters under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997
- brief analysis and advice.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Arts.
Naomi Low
Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2013
Naomi joined Victoria Legal Aid as part of the New Lawyers Program in 2014. She was appointed to Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in 2021.
Naomi has worked as a criminal lawyer at Victoria Legal Aid's Ringwood and Dandenong offices, as well as in the specialist youth law, civil justice and indictable crime teams. Before joining Victoria Legal Aid, she was a solicitor advocate at a busy private criminal law practice.
Recently, Naomi practised as a senior federal prosecutor at the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions where she prosecuted a range of Commonwealth offences including drug importation, human exploitation and online child sex offences.
Naomi was previously senior associate to Justice Hollingworth at the Supreme Court of Victoria where she was involved in serious criminal trials, mental impairment proceedings, plea hearings and applications for coercive power orders.
Naomi appears in all jurisdictions and has significant experience in representing youthful offenders in summary and serious indictable matters.
Naomi is available to be briefed in:
- Children's Court matters
- County Court pleas, appeals and breach proceedings
- County Court trials as junior counsel
- bail applications (all courts)
- contested committal hearings and committal mentions
- Magistrates' Court contested hearings
- complex Magistrates' Court pleas
- contested intervention order hearings.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Laws (Hon)/Bachelor of Arts.
Sarah Maskal
Admitted to the legal profession: 2013
Having been born overseas, Sarah understands and has developed a strong appreciation of the needs of complex clients from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Sarah is currently on secondment to Victoria Legal Aid Chambers from Victoria Legal Aid’s Ringwood office.
Prior to joining Chambers in early 2025 Sarah held roles of deputy managing lawyer and senior lawyer at Victoria Legal Aid's Ringwood office, where she ran a busy indictable, summary and youth crime practice.
She has previously worked as a lawyer in Victoria Legal Aid's Dandenong office and legal and policy officer and indictable crime coordinator in Grants.
Sarah is able to be briefed in:
- complex Magistrates’ Court matters (pleas, bail applications, contested hearings, summary jurisdiction applications)
- complex Children’s Court matters (as above)
- committal mentions
- County Court pleas, sentence appeals, contravention proceedings
- brief analysis and case strategy
- advice, mentoring, reverse shadowing, professional legal education and training.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Business (International Trade)
Family and Children's Law
Senior in-house counsel
Eric Myles
Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2013
Eric has been with Victoria Legal Aid since 2015. He joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in 2018 as a family and children's law advocate, was appointed public defender (Civil Justice) for six months in 2021 and was appointed senior in-house counsel, Family and Children's Law, in 2022. In addition to leading our team of family and children's law advocates, he has expertise in criminal law and civil justice. Before joining Chambers, Eric worked in Victoria Legal Aid's Child Protection team in Melbourne and was a generalist lawyer in our Ballarat office.
Eric is available to be briefed in:
Family and children's law:
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia matters, including as an independent children's lawyer – interim hearings, final hearings, mentions, directions hearings
- family dispute – resolution conferences
- family violence – mentions, directions, final hearings
- Children's Court Family Division – contested hearings, interim accommodation orders, mentions, directions hearings, conciliation conferences
- complex Children's Court matters
- family law, child protection and family violence advice.
Civil and criminal law –
- Supreme Court bail applications (crime)
- mental health and disability law matters – administration and guardianship orders, Supreme Court and County Court review hearings under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997
- Early Resolution Service matters – tenancy matters.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Juris Doctor
- Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
- Bachelor of Arts.
In-house counsel
Bec Helberg
Admitted to the legal profession: 2009
Bec joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers after seven years at Women's Legal Service Victoria working in and developing an outstanding reputation for her advocacy in family law, family violence and child protection.
Prior to this Bec worked exclusively in family law in Warrnambool, Dandenong and Melbourne CBD, which included a couple of years as a sole practitioner.
Bec is an always well-prepared, courageous and careful lawyer and advocate who in addition to her advocacy skills brings to chambers great stakeholder relationships and a wealth of experience and mentoring and training staff and representing clients with complex needs throughout the State.
Bec is available to be briefed in:
- Family Dispute Resolution Service (FDRS) conferences
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia matters, including independent children's lawyer – mentions, dispute resolution conferences, interim defended hearings, compliance and readiness hearings, trial management hearings, final hearings
- family violence matters – mentions, directions, contested hearings
- Children's Court (Family Division) – mentions, reserved submissions, conciliation conferences, interim accommodation order contests, readiness hearings, contested hearings
- family law, child protection and family violence advice.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Masters of Applied Law (Family Law)
- Bachelor of Law
- Bachelor of Arts
- independent children's lawyer.
Nadine Di Blasi
Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2008
Nadine joined Victoria Legal Aid in 2016 as a senior family lawyer in the Melbourne Office. Immediately prior to joining Victoria Legal Aid Chambers, Nadine practiced as an independent children's lawyer for 18 months.
Before commencing at Victoria Legal Aid she practised exclusively in family law/family violence in private practice for five years, initially at a boutique firm and subsequently at a commercial firm. Nadine began her career in Law as an associate to the now Justice McGuire of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Nadine is available to be briefed in the following matters:
- independent children's lawyer trials and hearings
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia proceedings, including parenting and property matters for Interim Hearings, Final Hearings, Dispute Resolution Conferences, Mentions and interlocutory hearings
- family dispute resolution conferences
- family violence – mentions, directions hearings and contests
- family law/family violence advice
- Children's Court Family Division – interim hearings, interim accommodation orders, mentions, directions hearings, contests.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Laws (Hons)
- Bachelor of Arts (Hons)
- Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice – College of Law
- Independent Children's Lawyer National Qualification (2019).
Associate in-house counsel
Taylor Bono
Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2020
Since joining Victoria Legal Aid in 2021 as a child protection, family violence and youth crime lawyer, Taylor has acted as senior and deputy managing lawyer in the Broadmeadows office as well as appearing regularly in the Magistrates’ and Children’s courts.
Prior to her appointment as associate in-house counsel in Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in early 2025, Taylor was a senior best interest’s lawyer, advocating for children on a best interest’s basis in the Children’s Court throughout Victoria as well as providing professional support, supervision and mentoring to Victoria Legal Aid child protection lawyers throughout the state.
Before coming to Victoria Legal Aid, Taylor worked as a solicitor in the child protection litigation Office in the Gippsland region. Taylor commenced her legal career as a judicial and legal associate to the Honourable Justice Wilson in the Family Court of Australia working across complex parenting and property proceedings.
Taylor is available to be briefed in:
- Children's Court Family Division - contested hearings, interim hearings, interim accommodation orders, mentions, directions hearings, readiness hearings and judicial resolution conferences
- family violence - mentions, directions hearings and contests
- family law - Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia matters, including Independent Children's Lawyer - interim hearings, final hearings, mentions, directions hearings, interlocutory hearings and family dispute resolution conferences.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Law
- Bachelor of Psychological Science
- Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.
Veronica Snip
Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2019
Veronica has been with Victoria Legal Aid since admission in 2019. She joined Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in 2022 as a family and children's law advocate. Prior to joining chambers, Veronica worked in Victoria Legal Aid's parenting disputes team in Melbourne and before this, as a family/child protection lawyer in the Gippsland regional office.
Veronica is available to be briefed in:
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia matters, including independent children's lawyer – interim hearings, mentions, directions hearings
- family dispute resolution – conferences
- Children's Court Family Division – contested hearings, interim hearings, interim accommodation orders, mentions, directions hearings, conciliation conferences
- contested family violence intervention orders.
Civil Justice
Associate public defender
Alex McKinlay
Admitted to the legal profession: 2016
Alex commenced her role as associate public defender in June 2025. Alex is on secondment from Victoria Legal Aid’s Equality Law Program where she has worked as a senior lawyer since 2022. In the equality law program, Alex’s practice includes sexual harassment and discrimination matters across state and federal jurisdictions. She has previous experience in tenancy, infringements and Crimes Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried Act 1997 (CMIA) matters. Alex has particular interest and experience in matters involving prisons and policing, as well as the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic).
Prior to joining Victoria Legal Aid, Alex held roles as an associate at Moores, solicitor at the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office, senior associate to Kaye JA in the Victorian Court of Appeal and solicitor at King & Wood Mallesons.
Alex is available to be briefed in:
- Equality Law Program – sexual harassment and discrimination matters (state and federal jurisdictions), general protections claims, and Charter of Human Rights claims
- Crimes Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried Act 1997 matters – custodial supervision order (CSO) and non-custodial supervision order (NCSO) review hearings
- Mental health and disability law – administration order matters, guardianship orders, treatment orders (including inpatient treatment order (ITO), compulsory treatment order (CTO) and secure treatment order (STO) matters)
- Early Resolution Service Program – infringement matters, tenancy hearings, Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) – tier 1 and tier 2 appearances.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Bachelor of Laws (Hon)
- Bachelor of Arts.
James Dalrymple
Admitted to the legal profession: 2017
James commenced his role as associate public defender, civil law, within Victoria Legal Aid Chambers in 2023. Prior to this he was a senior lawyer in Victoria Legal Aid's mental health and disability law program as well as senior criminal lawyer at Victoria Legal Aid's Broadmeadows office.
Prior to joining Victoria Legal Aid in 2018, James worked in private practice in immigration law.
James is available to be briefed in:
- supervision order hearings under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997
- mental health tribunal matters
- reviews of decisions in Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT)
- infringement matters
- National Disability Insurance Scheme maters in the Administrative Review Tribunal
- social security matters in the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) – tier 1 and 2
- guardianship and administration order matters under the Guardianship and Administration Act 2019
- residential tenancy matters
- matters under s 32C of the Evidence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1958.
Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:
- Juris Doctor
- Bachelor of Arts (Hon)
- accredited specialist in criminal law
- member of Law Institute of Victoria's disability law committee.
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