Inquests and Inquiries

  • Inquest into the deaths arising from the Lindt Café siege, Australia’s first counter-terrorism inquiry, 2015-2017, appearing for the Commissioner of NSW Police and members of the NSW Police Force.

Christine has appeared in a number of prominent and high profile coronial inquests and inquiries including:

Counsel Assisting the Coroner

  • Inquest into the death of “F”, hearing 6-8 April 2021 (hanging at Goulburn jail; model of care of inmates with severe mental illness).

  • Inquest into the death of Monika Chetty, hearing 23-27 November 2020 (unsolved homicide, acid attack, police investigation, persons of interest), ongoing.

  • Inquest into the death of James Hunt, findings of 4 September 2020 (remains found following disappearance; mental health issues; Missing Persons Standard Operating Procedures, use of telecommincation powers by police).

  • Inquest into the death of Thomas Redman, findings of 24 January 2020 (major trauma; retrieval medicine).

  • Inquest into the disappearance and suspected death of Raymond Speechley, findings of 6 December 2019 (absconded dementia patient from nursing home).

Chris regularly appears as Counsel Assisting the Coroner. Some examples have included:

Counsel for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development (Cth)

  • Inquest into the death of Huy Neng Ngo (Takata airbag death), September, October 2019 and June-July 2020.

Counsel for Commissioner of Corrective Services

  • Inquest into the death of Ivan Goolagong, findings 22 October 2021 (Aboriginal death in custody, palliative care).

  • Inquest into the death of Nathan Reynolds, findings 11 March 2021, (Aboriginal death in custody; severe asthma attack).

  • Inquest into the death of Fenika Junior, decision of 13 July 2018 (death in supermax; deficiencies in “knock up” communication system used by inmates to contact officers).

Counsel for Commissioner of Police NSW and Victoria

  • Inquest into the death of Daniel King, findings 22 July 2022 (suspect provoked shooting).

  • Inquest into the death of “S”, findings 7 May 2021 (suicide of police officer, assessment of risk).

  • Inquest into the death of Scott Cayirylis, findings 3 March 2020 (police attendance at suicide).

  • Application pursuant to s77 of the Coroners Act 2008 to re-open the inquest into the death of Jennifer Tanner and associated costs application, August 2012 -January 2013.

  • Kerang Inquest, 2011-2012 (railway collision killing 11, Emergency Response).

Counsel for surgeons

  • Inquest into the death of Lorraine Barnes (insertion of feeding tube into lung), decision of 13 December 2019.

  • Inquest into the death of Jodi Pearson, decision of 1 March 2019 (gastroscopy aspiration).

  • Inquest into the death of June Nutter, decision of 4 December 2018 (death following medical procedure).

Terrorism

Christine is regularly briefed to make applications on behalf of the State of NSW and the Commonwealth for continuing detention orders or extended supervision orders of persons identified under under the Terrorism (High Risk Offenders) Act and the Criminal Code as posing a future risk of committing a serious terrorism offence.  Through this body of work Christine is very familiar with counter-terrorism methods, radicalisation, ISIS and the application of VERA-2R for the assessment of risk of violent extremism. Some notable cases include:

  • State of NSW v Osman [2021] NSWSC 124.  Mr Osman was a person of interest in the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team’s Operation Appleby, investigating offenders involved in domestic terrorist acts, foreign incursions into Syria and Iraq and the funding of terrorist organisations. 

Serious crime

Christine is briefed to make applications on behalf of the State of NSW for serious crime prevention orders under the Crimes (Serious Crime Prevention Orders) Act that restrict, prohibit and restrain defendants in a bid to curtail future crime. Most notably, Chris appeared in the first ever applications under this Act in Commissioner of Police v Bowtell [2018] NSWSC 520 and Commissioner of Police v Cole [2018] NSWSC 517 concerning escalating violence and public place shootings between two rival Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (the “Finks” and the “Nomads”). She also appeared in the first contested variation of order applications in Commissioner of Police NSW v Amoun (No 2) [2021] NSWSC 734; (No 3) [2021] NSWSC 737 in respect of the escalating reprisal attacks between the Hamzy and Allemedeine crime families in Sydney.

High risk offenders

Christine is regularly briefed to make applications on behalf of the State of NSW for continuing detention orders or extended supervision orders of persons convicted of serious sex offences or serious violence offences under the Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act 2006. For a selection of cases click here.

Royal Commissions

Human rights and public interest law

Christine was briefed to advise and appear in appeals in the Supreme Court of Nauru against decisions of the Refugee Status Review Tribunal in Nauru, 2017-2018, (admitted in the Supreme Court of Nauru).

She acted and appeared for a number of aslylum seekers from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The role involved the application of International Refugee Law and international principles. Chris completed three tours to Nauru.

Notable human rights matters:

Disciplinary tribunals

Christine is regularly briefed to appear in various matters on behalf of medical practitioners before the Professional Standards Committee and Medical Review Tribunal, including in respect of alteration of records, inappropriate boundaries and off label use of restricted substances.