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Bharan Narula
2010, Bachelor of Laws: University of Technology, Sydney
2010, Bachelor of Science (Medical Science): University of Technology Sydney
2009, Niels Bohr Institute and University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Admitted to practice in 2010 and called to the Bar in 2016, Bharan accepts briefs in matters at first instance and on appeal in both civil and criminal law jurisdictions.
His civil law practice has seen him briefed in a wide variety of matters for government bodies (including the AGS, CDPP, FWO, Comcare, ACCC, ASIC), as well as corporations and individuals, ranging from public/administrative law matters, class actions and contractual disputes, to succession matters. He has a strong interest in constitutional, administrative and appellate law.
He has presented a paper on Executive Power & Grants with C Jacobi KC on a panel which included The Hon Robert French AC.
He is currently briefed as one of the junior counsel in the McDonald’s class action (led by J Firkin KC).
He is on the panel of barristers for the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission.
Possessing a wealth of knowledge and experience in criminal law, Bharan has appeared both led and unled in a wide variety of matters for both prosecution and defence. Such experience has ranged from government, corporate and regulatory prosecutions relating to cartels; acting for government including ASIC, ACCC; prosecuting work, health and safety matters; as well as appearing in criminal appeals and trials for prosecution and defence. He also appears for both Legal Aid NSW and the Commissioner of Corrective Services before the New South Wales State Parole Authority.
Prior to being called to the Bar, Bharan gained experience in criminal law for six years, having worked at Nyman Gibson Stewart (as it then was), the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) and Legal Aid NSW. Such experience saw him regularly appearing in the Children’s Court, Supreme, District and Local Courts of New South Wales and the State Parole Authority. Previously, he also worked as a paralegal and gained experience in corporate law, insolvency, intellectual property, shareholder agreements and the provision of general corporate advice.
Bharan holds a LLB and BSc(MED) from the University of Technology, Sydney. He also attended the University of Copenhagen in Denmark with an exchange scholarship and received distinctions in International Space Law and Mathematics (Chaos Theory) at the Niels Bohr Institute.
2016–present, Barrister, Wardell Chambers
2015–2016, Solicitor, Legal Aid NSW
2011–2015, Solicitor, Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT
2009–2011, Solicitor, Nyman Gibson Stewart
20-21 February 2025, present paper on Executive Power & Grants with C Jacobi KC at Executive Power Conference, University of Adelaide (on a panel with The Hon Robert French AC, Professor Cameron Moore and Dr Amanda Sapienza).
B Narula, Section 80 and the Territories: Vunilagi v The Queen [2023] HCA 24, Australian Public Law.
B Narula, Mandatory Minimum Sentences as a Statutory Yardstick (2024) Winter Bar News.
B Narula, The Veiled Sceptre: Reserve Powers of Heads of State in Westminster Systems by Anne Twomey (2020) 31 Public Law Review 324 at 328-333.
B Narula, The Defence Power, Chapter III and Service Tribunals (2020) Summer Bar News at 30-31.
B Narula, The Duty of a Member of Parliament and Exclusive Cognisance (2018) Spring Bar News at 35-36.
The Standard of Proof: Beyond Reasonable Doubt presented at Wardell Chambers CPD Conference in 2018.
Parole FAQ, March 2015.
NSW Bar Association, Professional Conduct Committee
Australian Bar Association, Criminal Law Committee
Member, Australian Association of Constitutional Law
Member, Francis Forbes Society for Australian Legal History
Member, New South Wales Bar Association
Constitutional and administrative law
Dickson v Commonwealth of Australia; Dickson v Director of Public Prosecutions (Commonwealth) [2022] NSWSC 1122 (Walton J), 1 day; [2023] NSWCA 175 (Ward P, Kirk JA), 2 days, constitutional law, collateral attack, whether Felons Act applies of its own force or is picked up by Judiciary Act, declarations, damages proceedings, unled, briefed by AGS.
Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions v Haddad, Daher & Ors (2019) 367 ALR 269 (Bell P, White and Brereton JJA), 1 day, judicial review, failure to obtain consent of Commonwealth Attorney-General), unled, briefed by CDPP. Case highlight at [12].
Charles Fountain v The Commonwealth of Australia [2024] NSWLC 3 at [88], whether s 216 of the Criminal Procedure Act applies of its own force or is picked up by the Judiciary Act.
Criminal law and regulatory appeals and trials
Hurt v The Queen (2022) 372 FLR 312 (Loukas-Karlsson, Kennett and Rangiah JJ), 1 day, mandatory minimum sentencing, whether Bahar approach correct, statutory interpretation, led by S McNaughton SC, briefed by CDPP.
May v Helicopter Resources Pty Ltd; May v Commonwealth of Australia [2022] ACTCA 15 (Mossop and Thawley JJ, McWilliam AJ), 1 day; [2024] ACTCA 6 (Mossop, McWilliam and Wheelahan JJ); May v Helicopter Resources; Commonwealth of Australia v May (2021) 358 FLR 327 (Elkaim J), 5 days; May v Commonwealth of Australia and Helicopter Resources Pty Ltd (No 2) [2019] ACTMC 31, 30 days; May v Commonwealth of Australia and Helicopter Resources Pty Ltd (No 1) [2019] ACTMC 20 (Theakston ACM), 1 day, prosecution of Commonwealth of Australia and Helicopter Resources Pty Ltd for breaches of Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth)), led by P Neil SC and C Jacobi KC, briefed by CDPP.
R v Zoghbi [2022] NSWDC 219 (Sutherland SC DCJ), sentence following 37-day jury trial of pharmacist conspiring to dishonestly obtain a gain from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, led by P McGuire SC, briefed by CDPP.
Obeid v The Queen [2018] HCATrans 54 (Bell, Keane and Edelman JJ), led by P Neil SC and R C A Higgins SC, 1 day; (2017) 96 NSWLR 155 (Bathurst CJ, Leeming JA, R A Hulme, Hamill and N Adams JJ), led by P Neil SC and V McWilliam, 3 days, duty of trust owed by a member of Parliament, contours of exclusive cognisance, conviction and sentence appeal, briefed by NSW DPP.
Dickson v R (No 2) [2018] NSWCCA 183; (No 3) [2018] NSWCCA 242 (Macfarlan JA, Schmidt and Wilson JJ) – Acted for respondent Crown in an appeal against conviction and sentence where previously determined (led by M G McHugh SC).
Obeid v The Queen (No 2) [2016] NSWCCA 321; (No 1) [2016] NSWCCA 320 (Bathurst CJ, Hoeben CJ at CL, R A Hulme J), 1 day, release on bail pending appeal, led by M McHugh SC, briefed by NSW DPP.
R v CR [2019] NSWDC 884 (Wilson SC DCJ), 2 days, sentence for child sexual abuse, unled, briefed by Blair Criminal Lawyers.
Class actions and industrial law
Rhys Rogers & Ors v McDonald’s Australia Ltd & Ors, VID1028/2023, Federal Court of Australia (District Registry, Victoria), led by J Firkin KC, briefed by SDA.
Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association – South Australian Branch v Eudunda Farmers Ltd and others, Federal Court of Australia (District Registry, South Australia), led by C Jacobi KC, briefed by SDA.
Torts, malicious prosecution
Gordon Wood v State of New South Wales [2020] HCATrans 114 (Nettle and Gordon JJ); [2019] NSWCA 313 (Gleeson and Payne JJA, Simpson AJA), 2 days; [2018] NSWSC 1247 (Fullerton J), 32 days, malicious prosecution proceeding brought by Gordon Wood against the State of NSW, led by P Neil SC and A Williams, briefed by NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office.
Misleading and deceptive advertising
Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Ltd v GlaxoSmithKline Australia Pty Ltd [2018] FCAFC 138, 1 day; (No 2) [2018] FCAFC 153 (McKerracher, Yates and Gleeson JJ); (No 2) (2018) 133 IPR 190, on the papers; [2018] FCA 1; (No 3) [2018] FCA 183, 3 days (Foster J), misleading or deceptive advertising, adequate foundation in body of scientific knowledge, led by R Cobden SC, H P T Bevan, briefed by GlaxoSmithKline.
Succession and Family Provision
Shannon & Anor v Steinmetz [2019] HCASL 332 (Gageler and Keane JJ); Steinmetz v Shannon (2019) 99 NSWLR 687; [2019] NSWCA 114 (White, Brereton JJA; Simpson AJA) – Acted for widow of deceased in family provision matter involving questions of the freedom of testamentary disposition, led by L Ellison SC, briefed by Diamond Conway.
Strang v Steiner (2019) 19 ASTLR 330 (Macfarlan, White and McCallum JJA), 2 days, succession, family provision, led by L Ellison SC, briefed by Glass Goodwin.
Colegrove v Dullaghan [2016] NSWSC 1105; (No 2) [2016] NSWSC 1236 (Robb J) – Acted for plaintiff in matter propounding an informal testamentary instrument (led by L Ellison SC).
Spatt v Benson; Benson v Spatt [2019] NSWSC 1195 (Kunc J) – Acted for plaintiff co-executor beneficiary, judicial advice proceedings, costs (led by L Ellison SC).