_Lisa-Claire Hutchinson

Admitted as a legal practitioner in 2009
Admitted as a barrister in 2013

Principal areas of practice

Lisa-Claire practices in criminal hearings, trials and appeals. She appears on behalf of accused and the prosecution, appearing unled and as junior counsel in criminal matters in the Court of Criminal Appeal, Supreme Court, District Court and Local Court. She regularly appears as counsel assisting at the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) and appears at coronial inquests.
 
Lisa-Claire has appeared in matters both at trial and at the appellate level concerning homicide, tax fraud, major drug importations and supply, firearms offences and personal violence matters. She has advised on and appeared in appeals concerning the legality of search warrants, procedural fairness, the use of ‘decision-trees’ in written directions to juries, Crown appeals, prison informers, tendency evidence, applications for inquiry into conviction, and the meaning of “exceptional circumstances” as it relates to mandatory sentencing schemes.
 
Lisa-Claire is on the Legal Aid NSW barrister panel for appeals and for complex criminal matters. 
 
Background

Lisa-Claire graduated from Sydney University Law School with first class honours, having spent her final semester studying international criminal law at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. Lisa-Claire then worked as a Trial Chamber Associate at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in the Hague (Den Haag) for six months, before returning to Sydney.
 
Lisa-Claire was admitted as a Solicitor in 2009 and worked in private practice before joining the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT in 2011, where she worked at the Children’s Court in Parramatta and then in the Supreme Court bails section.

Selected cases

• MT v R [2026] NSWCCA 25 – appeared for the respondent (NSW DPP) on an appeal against the severity of sentence. Appeal upheld.

 

• R v ND [2025] NSWDC 481 – appeared for the accused at a judge-alone trial for a single charge of sexual intercourse without consent, the accused having been acquitted of the other two charges at a previous jury trial. The accused was acquitted of the remaining charge.

 

• Maurice Hawell v R; Andrew David v R; Marius Hawell v R [2025] NSWCCA 210 – led by Gabrielle Bashir SC for the applicant in his appeal against conviction. Appeal upheld.

 

• Wardell v R [2025] NSWCCA 26 – led by Tim Game SC for the applicant in his appeal against conviction and sentence. Appeal dismissed.

 

• The King v Bredal [2024] HCASL 202 S72/2024 – led by Richard Pontello SC by the respondent on an application by the CDPP for special leave to appeal to the High Court. Special leave refused.

 

• LECC Operation Bendoc – appeared as counsel assisting the Commission in an investigation concerning the excessive use of force and destruction of a body-worn video camera by a police officer, and the failure of fellow officers to report suspected misconduct.

 

• WP v R [2024] NSWCCA 77 – appeared for the applicant in appeal against sentence for charges of persistent sexual abuse of children. Appeal dismissed.

 

• R v Bredal [2024] NSWCCA 75 – led by Richard Pontello SC for the respondent to Crown appeal. Appeal dismissed.

 

• Brierley v R [2022] NSWCCA 26 – led by Tim Game SC for the successful applicant in appeal against sentence. Appeal upheld.

 

• Elsworth v R [2022] NSWCCA 276 – led by Phillip Boulten SC for the applicant in appeal against conviction. Appeal dismissed.

 

• Attorney-General’s Application pursuant to s 108 Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW): Re Robert Burton (a pseudonym) [2021] NSWCCA 87 – led by Hament Dhanji SC for the Attorney General on an application for determination of question of law pursuant to s 108 of the Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW), where verdicts were directed by trial judge as to 78 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial benefit by deception. Application determined in favour of the Attorney General.

 

• Nikolovski v R [2021] NSWCCA 327 – led by Phillip Boulten SC for the applicant in an appeal against conviction and sentence. Charge of murder. Miscarriage occasioned by admission of evidence of informer. Appeal upheld.

 

• Brighton v RSPCA (NSW) [2023] NSWSC 1653 - appeared for the RSPCA at summary hearing then for the defendant (RSPCA) and then led by Tim Game SC, on conviction and sentence appeal to the Supreme Court. The appeal against conviction was withdrawn by the plaintiff and the appeal against sentence conceded by the defendant.

 

• R v Fletcher [2019] NSWDC 587 – led by Chris O’Donnell SC on behalf of the NSW Department of Justice in the prosecution before a jury of 78 counts dishonestly obtaining a benefit or causing a disadvantage by deception. Directed verdicts of not guilty.

 

• Cabot (a pseudonym) v R [2018] NSWCCA 265 – led by Hament Dhanji SC for applicant in appeal against conviction for child sex offences. Unreasonable verdicts. Appeal dismissed.

 

• AL v Regina [2017] NSWCCA 34 – led by Tim Game SC for applicant on appeal against conviction for child sex offences. Misdirection as to evidence of complainant and accused and doli incapax and unreasonable verdicts. Appeal dismissed.

 

• Vu v R [2016] NSWCCA 136 – led by Tim Game SC for the applicant on appeal against conviction. Charge of supply commercial quantity of heroin. Failure to direct in relation to knowledge of quantity of drug and error in permitting jury demonstration. Appeal upheld.

 

• Osborne v R; R v Osborne [2017] NSWCCA 11 – led by Tim Game SC for the applicant on appeal against conviction. Charges of defrauding the Commonwealth and dishonestly causing a risk of loss to the Commonwealth. Unsafe verdicts, inadequate directions as to liability, as to the existence of a trust and unbalanced summing up. Appeal upheld.

 

• Kalbasi v The State of Western Australia [2016] WASCA 144 – led by Tim Game SC for applicant on appeal against conviction. Charge of attempted sale of prohibited drug. Whether misdirection as to application of deeming provision and therefore no requirement to establish intention to sell or supply to another. Appeal dismissed.

 

• Clapham v R [2016] NSWCCA 198 – led by April Francis for the applicant on appeal against sentence. Charges of supply large commercial quantity of drug and possession of loaded firearm. Assessment of objective seriousness where drug possessed was synthetic, quantity possessed relative to theoretical dosages and street value. Appeal upheld.

 

• Panetta v R [2016] NSWCCA 85 – led by Hament Dhanji SC for the applicant on appeal against sentence. Charge of murder. Quantification of discount for assistance to authorities. Appeal upheld.

 

• R (Cth) v Rapolti; R (Cth) v Russell; R (Cth) v Speedy Corporation Pty Limited [2016] NSWCCA 264 – led by Tim Game SC for the respondent in CDPP appeal pursuant to 5F(3A). Charges of aiding and abetting the dishonest obtaining of a benefit from a Commonwealth agency in form of evading duties. Appeal dismissed.

 

• Hadchiti v R [2016] NSWCCA 63 – led by Tim Game SC for applicant on appeal against conviction. Charge of murder. Question of whether directions equating beyond reasonable doubt with existence of reasonable possibility undermined onus and standard of proof. Appeal upheld.

 

• Campbell v R [2014] NSWCCA 175 – led by April Francis for applicant on appeal against conviction. Charge of murder. Whether miscarriage by factual scenario advanced in summing up not relied upon by Crown and leaving alternative verdict and by admitting evidence of expert over objection. Appeal dismissed.

 

• El Masri, Osman v R [2014] NSWCCA 13 – led by Stephen Odgers SC for the applicant in appeal against sentence. Possession of an unauthorised prohibited firearm. Whether error in application of standard non-parole period. Appeal dismissed.

 

• R v Loveridge [2014] NSWCCA 120 – led by Phillip Boulten SC for the respondent in Crown appeal against sentence for manslaughter. Appeal upheld.

 

• R v Duffy & Ors [2014] ACTCA 53 – led by Hament Dhanji SC for the respondent in Crown appeal against sentence for conspiracy to murder. Appeal upheld.

 

• R v Gibbons [2013] NSWCCA 166 – led by April Francis for the respondent in Crown appeal against sentence for charges of robbery armed with offensive weapon. Appeal upheld.

 
Other
 
Aside from the law, Lisa-Claire enjoys spending time at Jervis Bay with her four kids and weight training. She won Top Female Lifter (Relative Strength) at the Form Fitness Strength Competition in 2025 and 2026.

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For further details or enquiries regarding Lisa-Claire Hutchinson’s areas of expertise, fees and terms of engagement please contact her Clerk.

CONTACT HERE