Abbie Roodenburg

Profile

Abbie Roodenburg is an experienced advocate who appears in trials, appeals, applications and inquiries in a broad range of areas including:
- Regulatory proceedings
- Disciplinary proceedings
- Occupational health and safety proceedings
- Environment law 
- Serious offender proceedings
- Criminal law
- Coronial inquests.

Abbie has a regulatory and administrative law practice that is well grounded in her strong criminal law background. Abbie also has a Bachelor of Science (Honours) majoring in Environmental Science and has previously worked in environmental consulting. Given this additional scientific experience, Abbie is often briefed in matters with highly technical and/or scientific evidence.

She appears in disciplinary and regulatory proceedings and often appears on behalf of the Secretary of the Department of Justice and Community Safety in matters under the Serious Offenders Act and other quasi-criminal matters. She is experienced in running proceedings under the occupational health and safety regime, the Environment Protection Act, Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act and the Sex Offenders Registration Act.  

Abbie conducts trials in the County Court and Supreme Court and appeals in the Court of Appeal for both prosecution and defence clients. Abbie holds an Indictable Crime Certificate (ICC) and, in 2019, took part in Victoria Legal Aid's Trial Counsel Development Program.  She is also on the VLA Criminal Trial Preferred Barrister List. 

Prior to coming to the Bar, Abbie worked as a solicitor at the Office of Public Prosecutions (OPP) for 12 years and at Sharrock Pitman Legal, a suburban law firm practicing in a wide variety of legal disciplines.  Abbie appeared and instructed in criminal law cases, disciplinary proceedings, commercial litigation matters and domestic building disputes.

From 2004 until 2005 she was a volunteer Solicitor at the Environment Defender’s Office. 

SELECTION OF PUBLISHED DECISIONS:

• DPP v White - Ongoing EPA prosecution in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Prosecution.
• EPA v Barro Group Pty Ltd - Junior counsel for Barro Group Pty Ltd in this EPA prosecution. Two separate proceedings - breach of General Environmental Duty and breach of licence conditions. All charges withdrawn and costs awarded.
• Secretary DOJCS v XFN (a pseudonym) [2025] VCC 1464 - Supervision order application on behalf of the Secretary.
• Schliefert v The King [2024] VSCA 197 - lead counsel in a sentence appeal on behalf of the applicant
• Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia v Barry [2024] VCAT 1072 - acting for the respondent
• Farachi v The King [2023] VSCA 253 - acting for the Chief Commissioner.
• Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia v DZQ [2023] VCAT 1156 - acting for the respondent
• Barro Group Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority [2024] VCAT 888 - acting for the applicant
• Perfect Choice Travel P/L v DPP [2024] VCC 714 - Confiscations Act proceedings, acting for Perfect Choice Travel P/L
• DPP v  Sutcliffe (a pseudonym) [2024] VSCA 63 - Sentence appeal on behalf of the applicant
• DPP v DW [2023] VSC 24 - junior to P Holdenson KC for Secretary DOJCS (amicus curiae)
• Vinaccia v The King [2023] HCASL 44 - junior to Chris Boyce KC on behalf of the respondent - special leave refused.
• re Johnson [2023] VSC 333 - Bail granted. Charges discontinued pre-committal.
• Charles (a pseudonym)  v The Queen [2022] VSCA 166 - junior to Theo Kassimatis on behalf of the applicant
• Wasif v The Queen [2022] VSCA 182 - sentence appeal on behalf of the respondent
• Ralph v The Queen [2022] VSCA 185 - sentence appeal on behalf of the respondent
• Jesse Vinaccia v The Queen [2022] VSCA 107 - junior to Chris Boyce QC (an appeal against conviction involving highly technical medical evidence in relation to abusive head trauma in infants and examination of local and international medical experts)
• DPP v Patterson [2022] VCC (arson trial)
• DPP v Charles (a pseudonym) [2021] VCC, unreported - junior to Ian Hill QC (historical sexual offences trial.
• Ali v Allen [2018] VSC 515 - judicial review
• The Queen v David Grierson [2018] VSC – junior to Peter Chadwick QC (murder trial)
• Victoria Police v Setka & Reardon – junior to Snr Crown Prosecutor Ray Gibson QC (blackmail)