Catherine Newman

Catherine specialises in criminal defence and prosecution with a focus on jury or judge alone trials. She regularly appears unled in complex jury trials for both the prosecution and defence and accepts briefs to appear in all Australian courts and tribunals, including regional and remote locations across NSW and interstate.

Catherine regularly defends clients who have been charged with Commonwealth criminal offences, including tax fraud, money laundering, drug importation, child exploitation, terrorism, immigration and other federal and regulatory fraud offences. She also regularly defends clients charged with State offences, including drug matters, sexual assaults, fraud, serious assaults, robbery, manslaughter and property offences.

Catherine has conducted jury trials unled in the Supreme Court and District Court and has appeared in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal.

Catherine was a Senior Federal Prosecutor at the Commonwealth DPP for four years and her expertise includes running complex Commonwealth matters.

Catherine also specialises in work health and safety matters, appearing on behalf of corporations or businesses charged by SafeWork NSW or the Commonwealth DPP for alleged breaches of the work, health and safety legislation. Catherine has successfully had charges against her clients dismissed and has successfully negotiated resolutions to such matters on behalf of her clients.

Catherine takes briefs for clients who were wrongfully prosecuted and appears on behalf of those clients in intentional tort proceedings including claiming against the State of NSW for malicious prosecution, unlawful arrest, assault and battery.

Catherine acts on behalf of regulators such as ASIC and the ACCC. Catherine appears for clients being investigated by ASIC including attending compulsory examinations.

Catherine also has experience in construction and strata law in the NSW Supreme Court.

Catherine has delivered presentations on federal prosecution, with a focus on human trafficking and slavery, to federal and state police around the country and in Vietnam to the Vietnamese judiciary and police.