Joseph Bourke

Profile

Joseph’s practice covers appearance and advice work across a broad range of public, regulatory, disciplinary, administrative, criminal and quasi-criminal matters. 

Joseph has appeared unled in jury trials, complex voir dire proceedings, and appeals, including in the Northern Territory Court of Appeal, Northern Territory Supreme Court and other first instance courts across Australia. He has also appeared (led) in the High Court of Australia.

Some of Joseph’s recent cases include:

• Namala v The King [2024] NTCCA 7 (unled, against the NT Director)
• Hurt v The King; Delzotto v The King [2024] HCA 8 (led by P Boulten SC and J R Murphy for amicus curiae, limited to written submissions)
• Joran v The King [2024] NTCCA 1 (led by J R Murphy, against the NT Director)
• Burarrwanga v The King (Northern Territory Court of Criminal Appeal, 22139923, 7 November 2022) (unled, against the NT Director)
• The Queen v Bonney [2022] NTCCA 3 (led by B Wild, against the NT Director)

Before coming to the bar, Joseph was a Trial Advocate at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA). He also managed NAAJA’s Appeals Practice.  Joseph has also worked at Legal Aid NT as a Senior Solicitor, and the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) as a Criminal Solicitor.

Joseph holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New England, and a Bachelor of Psychological Science from the University of Newcastle.

He is reading with Paul Smallwood, and his senior mentor is Emrys Nekvapil KC.