Michelle Swift

Admitted as a legal practitioner in NSW in 2000.
Admitted in Solomon Islands as a solicitor and barrister in 2004.
Admitted in Northern Territory as a solicitor and barrister in 2008.
Called to NSW bar in 2011.


Michelle has extensive legal experience gained before and after admission as a lawyer and before coming to the Bar. She has practiced in New South Wales, interstate and overseas, including work at inquests. 


Experience
  • 1998 – Commenced work at NSW Crown Solicitors Office as paralegal
  • 1999 - Coronial Inquiry into the Sydney to Hobart yacht race (paralegal assisting the Coroner)
  • Early 2000 – Coronial Inquiry into the death of Peter Dalamangas (instructing Counsel Assisting the Coroner)
  • 2000 – NSW Legal Commission, Solicitor,  Inner City Local Courts,
  • 2002 – NSW Legal Aid Commission, Dubbo, Solicitor : District and Local Court work in the Western Region of NSW 
  • 2004 – Acted as Public Defender in Solomon Islands, employed by RAMSI (Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands)
  • 2007- Indictable Appeal Division of NSW Legal Aid Commission
  • 2008 – Appointed as Managing Solicitor of NAAJA (Northern Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency), responsible for conducting and managing committals, jury trials and appeals from the Magistrates Court through to the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
  • 2010 – Appointed in-house Counsel for NAAJA, including appearing as Counsel for family at the coronial inquest relating to death in custody
  • 2011 – called to the NSW Bar at Forbes Chambers.

Since coming to the Bar, Michelle has worked on :

  • Committals
  • Jury trials
  • Juvenile matters involving the Childrens Court
  • Regular country circuits including Bathurst, Port Macquarie, Taree, Dubbo, Darwin and  Albury
  • Presenting a paper to the conference of CLANT (Criminal Lawyers Association of the Northern Territory ) in Bali in June 2011.

Michelle has a keen interest in the interaction of social media with criminal law and is developing a practice specialising in this area.
 
Michelle is a member of the Legal Aid Complex Criminal Barrister Panel, the Legal Aid Specialist Barrister Panel (Criminal Appellate Matters) and the Legal Aid (General Crime) Panel.

Principal areas of practice

  •         Criminal law
  •         Coronial law
  •         Corporate Crime
  •         Statutory offences
  •         Appellate
  •         Commissions of inquiry and inquests
  •         Disciplinary proceedings
  •         Environmental offences

For further details or enquiries regarding Michelle Swift's areas of expertise, fees and terms of engagement please contact her Clerk.

CONTACT HERE
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