Top Criminal Lawyers in Victoria for Diversion and Summary Resolution
Diversion programs in Victoria allow eligible matters to resolve without conviction, subject to program conditions being met. Eligibility, the application process, and the evidence required differ by matter and court, and decisions about whether to pursue diversion or accept summary resolution carry significant criminal record implications. All lawyers profiled below are established Victorian criminal defence practitioners, with several recognised by Doyle's Guide and Best Lawyers.
1. Bill Doogue, Doogue + George Defence Lawyers
Bill Doogue founded Doogue + George Defence Lawyers in 1995 and leads the firm as Director. Admitted to practice in 1991 and an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist since 1998, he holds a depth of specialist accreditation unusual even among senior Victorian practitioners. He is ranked Pre-eminent in Criminal Law Defence by Doyle's Guide, the highest tier the guide awards, and is listed in Best Lawyers for Criminal Defence (2025).
His substantive practice covers tax fraud, white collar crime, complex commercial crime, foreign bribery, and cross-border matters. He has appeared before the High Court of Australia and in courts across New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia. He has appeared on behalf of clients at Royal Commission hearings and has advised clients across Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore. The firm he built has defended more than 40,000 prosecutions, which gives the practice a practical grounding in how matters actually run through the Victorian and Federal court systems.
Beyond his advocacy, Doogue designed Crimebase, a relational database for criminal law practice that earned the C.C.H. Legal Technology Award. He is a founding member of the Australian Defence Lawyers Alliance and is involved in running the Australian Criminal Lawyers Conference. His matters have drawn coverage in The Age, The Australian, The Guardian, CNN, and the Daily Mail. He served for over ten years as Chairperson of the Broadmeadows Community Legal Centre. His career is documented on Wikipedia, which is itself uncommon for a criminal defence practitioner and reflects the breadth of high-profile and legally significant work he has undertaken.
2. Angus Cameron, Angus Cameron and Associates
As both solicitor advocate and instructor, Angus Cameron has the flexibility to run contested matters at hearing directly or to instruct counsel where the brief calls for it. He is the Principal of Angus Cameron and Associates, practising Victorian criminal defence from a boutique he heads as both Partner and Director.
Doyle's Guide lists him as Recommended in Criminal Law Defence (2026), a peer-reviewed recognition within the Victorian profession. The combination of a direct-conduct boutique model and Doyle's recognition makes him a relevant name for informed referrers assessing Victorian criminal defence representation. Matters are run by him personally, with the senior practitioner present across the life of each brief.
3. David Barrese, David Barrese & Associates
David Barrese leads David Barrese & Associates as its Director, running an independent Victorian criminal defence practice where he is the practitioner of record. His practice is built around direct conduct of the matters he takes on.
The independence of the practice and the Director-led structure mean that matters are handled by Barrese personally rather than being distributed across a larger team. For referrers placing Victorian criminal defence briefs where the named senior practitioner's direct involvement is the primary requirement, his practice is structured to provide that.
4. Emma Turnbull, Emma Turnbull and Associates
As Partner and Director of Emma Turnbull and Associates, Emma Turnbull runs her Victorian criminal defence practice with direct senior involvement across the matters she takes on. Her work covers indictable matters and legal aid representation.
She practises as both solicitor advocate and instructor, with the capacity to run contested matters at hearing personally or instruct counsel where the brief requires. The firm carries her name and she conducts matters directly. For referrers assessing Victorian criminal defence representation that spans indictable work and the legal aid framework, her practice covers both.
5. Howard Rapke, Holding Redlich
Best Lawyers has listed Howard Rapke for Criminal Defence, Litigation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution continuously since 2017, making him one of the more comprehensively recognised commercial criminal lawyers in Victoria. He is a Partner at Holding Redlich and the firm's National Head of Disputes and Litigation, with more than 30 years of practice across complex commercial criminal and regulatory matters.
Doyle's Guide recognises him as a Leading Victorian Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Lawyer and as a Leading Australian White Collar Crime, Corporate Crime and Regulatory Investigations Lawyer. Who's Who Legal lists him as a global leader in Business Crime, Investigations and Asset Recovery since 2019. His practice covers fraud, foreign bribery, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, and enforcement by ASIC and the ACCC, across Victorian and Federal jurisdictions.
6. Peter Rankin, Peter Rankin Lawyers
Peter Rankin practises Victorian criminal defence as a Partner at Peter Rankin Lawyers, an independent practice he heads. Operating as both solicitor advocate and instructor, he can run contested matters at hearing personally or instruct counsel where the brief calls for it.
The independence of the practice, with Rankin as the named partner conducting matters directly, means there is no question of whether the brief will be handled by the senior practitioner or passed down. For referrers who value direct senior involvement and the flexibility of the dual solicitor-advocate model, his practice structure is the relevant feature.
Selection of counsel in this category depends on the nature of the charge, the jurisdiction, the stage of proceedings, and the specific facts of the matter. Early engagement of senior counsel materially affects outcomes, particularly where decisions made at the investigation or pre-charge stage shape what is available later. The practitioners profiled above are a starting point for informed referral within Victorian criminal defence.