Caitlin Akthar

Admitted as a legal practitioner in 2011
Admitted as a barrister in 2021

Caitlin accepts briefs in all areas of law.  Her principal areas of practice are criminal, appellate, administrative and public law.  Prior to being called to the bar, Caitlin was the Solicitor in Charge of the Indictable Appeals Unit at Legal Aid NSW.  Caitlin was a criminal defence lawyer at Legal Aid NSW for 9 years, appearing and instructing in the Children’s, Local, District and Supreme Courts; the Court of Appeal, Court of Criminal Appeal, and the High Court.
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Principal areas of Practice

• Criminal law
• Criminal appeals
• Administrative law
• Public law

Selected cases

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• Director of Public Prosecutions v Duran [2024] ACTSC 14 – ACT Supreme Court Sentence – unled - suspended sentence imposed for glassing offence​

 

• Benn v R [2023] NSWCCA 24 – severity appeal, led by Tim Game SC for successful applicant. Term of imprisonment reduced by 5 years.

 

• R v JC [2023] NSWSC 111 – bail application led by Georgia Lewer for applicant convicted after trial. Bail granted pending appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeal.

 

• DS v R; DM v R [2022] NSWCCA 156 – severity appeal, led by Gaby Bashir SC and Georgia Lewer for the successful applicant. Sentences for murder, armed robbery and other offences reduced by 8 years

 

• Hraichie v R [2022] NSWCCA 155 – severity appeal, led by Phillip Boulten SC for the successful applicant. Sentences for attempted murder and terrorism offences reduced by 5 years.

 

• Totaan v R [2022] NSWCCA 75; 400 ALR 578; 365 FLR 69 – severity appeal, led by S Howell and R El-Choufani for the successful applicant. Test for considering hardship to third parties in Commonwealth sentencing re-determined. Immediate release to parole ordered.

Podcasts, papers and presentations

• Caitlin is a host of the 5 Cases podcast via the Legal Aid NSW Criminal Law Division
• In defence of tendency : adducing tendency evidence for the defendant (March 2024)
• The Busy Practitioner’s Quick Guide to Plea Traversals (February 2023) 
• What do I need to know about representing children? (2nd ed., May 2022)
• Pre-Recorded Evidence Hearings in Response to COVID-19: Issues to Consider (April 2020)
• Reducing care-criminalisation with legislative reform (2020)
• Sexual offences against adults and children: a new regime (October 2019)

For further details or enquiries regarding Caitlin Akthar’s areas of expertise, fees and terms of engagement please contact her Clerk.

CONTACT HERE