Joanne Poole

Profile

Joanne practises primarily in indictable crime, criminal appeals and occupational health and safety matters. Joanne also represents clients at coercive hearings and in disciplinary matters.

Joanne’s experience includes all stages of advocacy, particularly trials and appeals. Joanne has a national practice, appearing in Victoria and throughout Australia, in both State and Commonwealth matters.

Joanne is on the Victoria Legal Aid Preferred Trial Counsel List and holds an Indictable Crime Certificate. She is a member of the Victorian Bar Ethics Committee and the Criminal Bar Association Committee.

Recent matters include:

• Cleanaway Operations Pty Ltd v Hanel [2025] SASCA 112
• Karam v The King [2025] VSCA 194
• Dastmozd v The King [2025] VSCA 194
• DPP v Pualic [2025] VSCA 178
• Ward v The King [2025] VSCA 101
• Coman v The King [2025] VSCA 302
• Alhassan v The King [2024] VSCA 233
• R v Alhassan [2025] VSC 201
• DPP v Clifford [2025] VSC 199
• DPP v Lo Bianco [2024] VSC 681

Joanne began her legal career working with commercial law firms in Melbourne (Clayton Utz) and in Asia (Herbert Smith), where she specialised in white collar crime and regulatory matters. She then joined Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong in a regional regulatory and compliance role. On returning to Melbourne, she worked as a solicitor with private criminal law firm Balmer & Associates before joining the Victorian Bar.

Joanne is a member of Crockett Chambers. She read with Justin Hannebery KC.