Anthony Pyne

Profile

Anthony is an experienced advocate who appears as defence counsel in serious indictable criminal matters, criminal appeals, matters conducted under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act, regulatory prosecutions and matters under the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act.

Anthony has appeared as defence counsel in jury trials in Victoria and the Northern Territory in relation to serious violence offences, drug trafficking, culpable and dangerous driving causing death, kidnapping, blackmail, arson, sexual offences, white collar fraud and homicide. He has extensive experience in mental impairment and unfitness to be tried proceedings. He has appeared as defence counsel in regulatory prosecutions, including in investigations conducted by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) and prosecutions by local Councils. He has appeared in the Court of Appeal, both led and unled, in relation to interlocutory appeals and appeals against both conviction and sentence. He has done significant appellate work in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.

Anthony has developed extensive experience in challenging DNA evidence and adducing and cross-examining on forensic psychological and psychiatric evidence, as well as challenging fingerprint evidence, telecommunications evidence, ballistics and firing-pin impression evidence and shoe-print impression evidence. He has extensive experience challenging evidence obtained by unlawful or improper police conduct and in successfully arguing for permanent and temporary stays of criminal prosecutions. He has a strong interest in mental health law, both at its intersection with the criminal law and in relation to applications for compulsory treatment. He has extensive experience with clients experiencing mental illnesses and with cognitive impairments. 

Prior to coming to the Bar, Anthony was a Public Defender at Victoria Legal Aid Chambers and a senior criminal defence lawyer at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), where he was based for five years in both Alice Springs and Darwin. He has extensive experience with First Nations clients. He also worked at Legal Aid NSW, and at the NSW Supreme Court Commission of Inquiry into the Conviction of Phuong Ngo. 

Anthony has a Master of Laws and a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) from the University of Sydney. He is on the VLA Criminal Trial Preferred Barrister List. He holds an Indictable Crime Certificate from the Victorian Bar. He became an LIV Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law in 2016. He has published articles in leading academic journals about contemporary issues in criminal law. Anthony is a member of Crockett Chambers and Mindil Chambers in Darwin. Anthony read with Jason Gullaci SC and his senior mentor was Judge John Kelly SC.