Christopher Wareham

Profile

Christopher's practice focuses primarily on criminal and administrative law. He has a particular interest and expertise in advising on evidentiary and procedural issues across all areas of law.

Christopher accepts briefs to advise and appear in all criminal and quasi-criminal, administrative and regulatory matters. He regularly appears in the Court of Appeal (both led and unled) in appeals against conviction and sentence, and in interlocutory applications and appeals. In addition, Christopher is regularly briefed to appear in contested hearings, contested committals, plea hearings, bail applications, and the legal argument in contested pre-trial and pre-hearing applications.

Christopher advises on, and appears in, disciplinary and regulatory matters, including proceedings brought under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Therapeutic Goods Act, the Liquor Control Reform Act, the Sex Work Act, the Building Act, and the Legal Profession Uniform Law.  He acts in both professional disciplinary and medical disciplinary matters. 

Christopher has appeared in proceedings in the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and appeared unled for two affected parties in the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants.  He accepts briefs to act for parties at compulsory hearings as well as public and private examinations held by various state and federal bodies.

Christopher has also been breifed to advise and assist overseas counsel representing Australian citizens detained abroad. He has also sucessfully challenged the issuing (by a State party) of an INTERPOL Red Notice and assisted in staying the removal of an Australian citizen detained abroad to a third county. 

Some of Christopher’s recent matters include:

TPL v The State of Western Australia [2025] WASCA 195 (Appeal against an conviction and sentence, leading C O'Bryan for the Appellant).

The State of Western Australia v BXA [2025] WASC 366 (Director's Appeal against an acquittal, leading C P Brennan for the Respondent).

Rictor v The State of Western Australia [2025] HCATrans 57 (Application for Special Leave to Appeal, leading J R Murphy and C P Brennan for the Appellant).

JDC v Tasmania [2025] TASCCA 7 (Appeal against conviction, Led by G J Barns SC for the Appellant).

Nguyen v The King [2025] VSCA 184 (Appeal against conviction, lead by T Kassimatis KC for the Appellant).

Singh v The King [2025] VSCA 95 (Appeal against conviction, impermissible cross-examination by prosecutor, conviction set aside and a re-trial ordered, Led by T Kassimatis KC for the Appellant).

Ale v The King [2025] VSCA 92 (Application for leave to appeal against sentence, Led by D A Dann KC for the Applicant).

Christopher has also appeared in:

High Court of Australia

DPP v Roder (a pseudonym) (2024) 281 CLR 18; [2024] HCA 15 (Led by T Kassimatis KC for the Respondent)

Smith v The Queen; The Queen v Afford (2017) 259 CLR 291; [2017] HCA 19 (Led by T Kassimatis QC and A Burchill for the Respondent Afford)

Holzinger v The Queen [2017] HCATrans 160 (Led by T Kassimatis QC for the Applicant)

Court of Appeal and Supreme Court

Wood v The State of Western Australia [2024] WASCA 143 (Unled for the Appellant).

Lau v The King [2024] VSCA 94 (Leading P D Reynolds for the Appellant).

Leonard (a pseudonym) v The Queen [2021] VSCA 172 (Unled for the Appellant).

Puckett (a pseudonym) v The Queen [2019] VSCA 103 (Unled for the Appellant).

Travis v Rando & Anor [2022] VSC 782 (Leading J R Murphy for the Appellant).

MNX (a pseudonym) v TNV (a pseudonym) [2022] VSC 592 (Led by O P Holdenson KC)