Best Criminal Lawyers Barristers 2025
Ultimate guide to find the Best Criminal Barristers Sydney 2025: Who to Look For and How to Choose the Right One
Awarded Criminal Barristers 2025 Sydney
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Why Choosing the Best Criminal Barrister Matters in 2025
When facing serious criminal charges, the barrister you choose can define the course of your future. Whether it’s a District Court trial, Local Court appearance, or Supreme Court appeal, selecting one of the best criminal barristers in Sydney in 2025 can mean the difference between conviction and acquittal. With evolving legislation, increased scrutiny on due process, and the rising complexity of evidence law, only the most skilled and respected legal minds can navigate the criminal justice system effectively.
In this article, we reveal the most trusted, highly regarded criminal barristers in Sydney based on courtroom performance, peer recognition, client outcomes, and 2025 industry rankings.
What Makes a Criminal Barrister the "Best"?
To determine the top criminal barristers in Sydney for 2025, we considered:
- Courtroom performance and trial results
- Peer recognition and referrals from solicitors and fellow barristers
- Specialisation in serious criminal law matters (e.g., murder, sexual assault, fraud, drug importation)
- Experience across all NSW criminal courts
- Reputation for cross-examination skill, legal argument, and jury persuasion
- Availability for direct access (where permitted)
Why you need a Criminal Barrister in your case
If you're going to trial or facing serious indictable charges, you need a barrister with deep courtroom experience, persuasive oral advocacy skills, and legal acumen. In 2025, the demand for sharp, strategic barristers has grown in response to more aggressive prosecutions and increasingly complex legal defences.
How to Brief the Best Criminal Barristers in Sydney
Most criminal barristers require a solicitor to brief them, but in some cases (especially Local Court matters), you may be able to brief a barrister directly. Here’s how to do it:
- Seek a solicitor with strong connections to barristers' chambers.
- Ask for referrals based on the type of charge you’re facing.
- Ensure your barrister is experienced in similar cases.
- Request examples of past trial results (if permitted).
Final Thoughts: Defend Your Future with Sydney’s Best
If you're searching for the best criminal barristers in Sydney in 2025, this list is your starting point. Courtroom experience, cross-examination skill, legal knowledge, and peer recognition matter now more than ever. Whether you're accused of a serious indictable offence or need strategic legal advice, aligning with the right barrister could change everything.
You can also check their credential on the NSW Bar Association website.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Who is the top criminal barrister in Sydney in 2025?
A: Rankings vary by case type, but [Name Redacted] is consistently rated among the top for murder and serious indictable offences.
Q: Can I brief a criminal barrister directly in NSW?
A: In some circumstances, yes—particularly in Local Court matters or where the barrister accepts direct access briefs.
Q: What’s the difference between a solicitor and a barrister?
A: Solicitors handle client interaction and preparation; barristers argue cases in court.
Q: How much do criminal barristers cost in Sydney?
A: Fees vary based on experience, case complexity, and duration—ranging from $2,000 to $15,000 per day for senior counsel.
Who are the best criminal lawyers in Barristers 2025?
List of the awarded criminal lawyers for 2025 at Lawyers & Barristers Awards
List of Services
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Arjun ChabraArjun Chabra
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Ben BarrackBen Barrack
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Aj KarimAj Karim
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Michael BurkeMichael Burke
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Steven BolandSteven Boland
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Tim LoweTim Lowe
Tim is from Frederick Jordan Chambers in Sydney. Tim is an experienced and skilled advocate who produces exceptional outcomes for his clients.
During his career, Tim has gained more than 20 years advocacy experience in criminal and public law. Since coming to the New South Wales Bar, Tim has developed a substantial practice including current briefs in some of the state’s most high-profile criminal cases.
Tim is privileged to be briefed regularly by leading criminal solicitors. Tim appears in jury trials/defended hearings, bail and sentence proceedings, appeals, and other public inquiries/inquests as required.
Prior to the Bar, Tim was both an executive level manager and senior prosecutor in NSW Government. This invaluable experience enables Tim to use his extensive knowledge base concerning the conduct of police investigations, use of police powers, and the application of government policy to his client’s matters.
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Brian WalkerBrian Walker
Mr. Walker has always had a passion to be involved in criminal justice to ensure the rights of accused people are properly represented.
Sometimes criminal accusations are put to accused people for a number of reasons, including concurrent family law proceedings and/or financial gain for example. People falsely accused of crimes should be defended to have their innocence proven. Other times, people commit criminal acts in haste and with regret. Besides punishment, there are other purposes of sentencing such as rehabilitation, deterrence and accountability. A balanced sentencing approach should be taken to sentencing criminal offenders, besides a focus on punishment, not only for the ongoing benefit of the offender, but for the ongoing benefit of the community.
Prior to becoming a barrister, Mr. Walker was a private criminal defence solicitor. He was also previously a Federal Prosecutor who represented the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions in large scale drug importation and sexual offences. He appeared in the matter of Croation soccer star Marko Simic alleged to have committed an act of indecency on an international flight Football star Marko Simic accused of assaulting a woman on flight to Australia. He also appeared in a matter concerning the importation of approximately 300kg of ephedrine imported into Australia Police find 300kg of ephedrine inside highlighters from China.
Mr. Walker was a former Australian Federal Police Member who represented and appeared for the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police in NSW Supreme Court proceedings. This included forfeiting approximately $220,000 in proceeds of crime in The Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police [2018] NSWSC 1737, and approximately $400,000 in another matter Application by the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police [2018] NSWSC 1302. Mr. Walker has also written an article concerning proceeds of crime for Lawyer Monthly.
Mr. Walker previously worked as an Investigator at the Australian Taxation Office in the Private Groups & High Wealth Individuals – Offshore Tax Evasion department and has been part of the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce which was a joint taskforce between the Australian Federal Police, Australian Taxation Office, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre and the Australian Border Force. The purpose of the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce is to enhance the identification and pursuit of potential criminal asset confiscation matters.
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Zaid Khan Zaid has over a decade of experience practicing at the NSW Bar. Zaid specialises in criminal law and appears in all jurisdictions of the criminal law. His expertise encompasses a broad range of all criminal proceedings including bail hearings, defended hearings, jury trials, sentencing hearings and appeals in both the District and Supreme Court of NSW. Zaid also has experience in quasi criminal jurisdictions, appearing before the Parole Authority (both for the Commissioner and for offenders seeking parole), The Crime Commission, Coronial Inquests and the Mental Health Review Tribunal. He is a member of the Legal Aid Complex Criminal Law Barrister Panel and the Appellate Criminal Law Barrister Panel. Zaid came to the law as a second career after obtaining his Commerce degree and 10 years of working in London for a major investment bank. He was travelled the world and brings a wealth of life experience to his practice. Prior to coming to the Bar, Zaid was a solicitor at the NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office then with the Aboriginal Legal Service in Redfern specialising in criminal defence law.Zaid Khan
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Hugo Atkinson Hugo regularly appears in the Supreme Court, District Court, Local Court, and Children’s Courts. His primary area of practice is criminal law, covering summary, indictable, and appellate criminal matters. He also accepts briefs in regulatory prosecutions, disciplinary proceedings, intentional torts, high risk offender applications, and inquiries. Before being called to the Bar, Hugo worked as a Trial Advocate for the Aboriginal Legal Service and as a Senior Solicitor at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency. In these roles, he appeared in both jury and judge-alone trials. Hugo has represented mentally unfit defendants in special hearings and in sentence proceedings in the District Court. Additionally, he has appeared complex cases in the Local and Children’s Courts. He has acted in appeal proceedings in the Court of Criminal Appeal, Supreme Court, and District Court. Prior to his career as a solicitor, Hugo was a Tipstaff in the Supreme Court of NSW and worked as a paralegal at the Crown Solicitor’s Office.Hugo Atkinson