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NSW silk named senior public defender
A “respected” criminal lawyer has been appointed as senior public defender for NSW.
Jerome Doraisamy
Richard Wilson SC is the new senior public defender in NSW and will begin his seven-year term on 17 February.
He has worked as a public defender for the past 12 years, including as deputy senior public defender since 2018 and as acting senior public defender in 2024 and 2019. Prior to this, he was a barrister at Seventh Floor Garfield Barwick Chambers and, before that, deputy principal solicitor of the Aboriginal Legal Service.
He currently serves as co-chair of the national criminal law committee for the Law Council and of the Bugmy Bar Book Project.
Speaking about the appointment, NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said: “I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Richard Wilson SC as senior public defender.
“Mr Wilson is a long-time public defender who has proven himself as acting senior public defender since July last year. Public defenders play a significant role in our justice system, both in the courtroom and through advising the government on criminal justice reform.
“I congratulate Mr Wilson on his appointment.”
Public defenders, the A-G’s Department noted in a statement, are appointed under the Public Defenders Act 1995 and are salaried barristers, independent of the government, who appear in serious matters for clients who have been granted legal aid.
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly and HR Leader. He has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. In June 2024, he also assumed the editorship of HR Leader. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
You can email Jerome at:
