Catherine Jones Williams

Catherine Jones Williams is a dedicated Victorian barrister with a strong focus on criminal matters, appellate cases, advice work, regulatory matters and health law.

She is committed to providing exceptional service to her clients.

Background:

Catherine brings a wealth of experience to her practice, including the experience of working closely with senior members of the bar, including Senior and Kings Counsel. 

Prior to joining the Bar, Catherine provided specialist litigation support to Ruth Shann (now SC) and Neil Clelland KC in the successful defence of two significant regulatory prosecutions – CDPP v O’Mara (an ACCC criminal cartel case) and VWA v Agarwal (a medical fraud case involving 123 charges). These cases spanned over two and a half years and involved intricate legal and evidentiary issues.

She has previously worked as a solicitor-advocate for Chester Metcalfe lawyers appearing daily in the Magistrates Court and as a County Court Judge’s Associate.  

Catherine is one of the few barristers at the Bar who is a qualified Chartered Accountant, having worked for 10 years in the insolvency and consulting divisions of KPMG. She was a registered Chartered Accountant for 25 years.

She has also consulted to the health sector on regulatory matters and is highly experienced in working with medical information.

Practice areas

Catherine has an established criminal law practice and a growing practice in public, common law and appellant cases.

She has a particular interest in white collar crime, (where she can utilise her significant experience as a chartered accountant and business adviser) and matters involving complex medical evidence.

In general criminal matters, she represents clients as defence counsel in both summary and indictable matters. She also prosecutes indictable crime. Catherine is experienced in conducting committal proceedings, County Court pleas and appeals. She appears regularly in the County Court for both prosecution and defence.

She recently obtained one of the lowest sentences for carjacking in a County Court plea for a vulnerable aboriginal offender.

She has also been briefed as a junior in a range of Supreme Court matters in both crime, appeals and common law.

Catherine is building an appellate practice in criminal and public law, with a focus on assisting vulnerable prisoners and people with disability. She is currently briefed as junior counsel in a number of Victorian Supreme Court conviction appeals, led by Dermot Dann, KC and is giving advice on appeal prospects in a number of Supreme court appeal matters.

Expertise:

Catherine is adept at managing complex litigation and advice across a range of practice areas, conducting complex pleas and preparing written submissions. She excels in dealing with large briefs which require case law research and involve complex evidentiary issues.

With strong commercial experience, Catherine brings business and financial acumen to complex regulatory briefs and white-collar crime.

Catherine has a keen interest in medical law and excels in criminal briefs that involve medical evidence (such as murder and serious injury matters). She is experienced with medical files having worked in medical compliance in the health sector and she does ongoing voluntary work for a children’s brain canc cases.

She has provided pro-bono advice to obtain VLA funding for a supreme court conviction appeal in a murder case and a rape matter and is currently briefed to provide second opinion advice in two other matters (murder and rape cases).

She has been successful as pro-bono counsel in obtaining NDIS funding for three applicants with complex medical issues as part of a judicial review process.

In earlier years whilst studying law, Catherine regularly provided pro-bono support to defence solicitors and counsel. This included assisting Ms Burnside (now Magistrate) at a contested committal on a murder charge including the preparation of written submissions which resulted in the discharge of the client (and two co-accused).

Recent Matters:

Since joining the Bar in May 2022, Catherine has been involved in several notable cases.  These include:

1. Pallant v DPP (Supreme Court of Victoria) – Provision of second opinion advice pro-bono, unled on conviction appeal prospects for a charge of murder, which led to approval by VLA of funding for the appeal. Now led by Dermot Dann KC in the conviction appeal. Instructed by Sandra Gaunt, SLQK Lawyers.
2. DPP v Pallant (Supreme Court of Victoria) – led by Dermot Dann KC in representing the client in the plea hearing on the murder charge, following conviction at trial. Instructed by Sandra Gaunt, SLQK Lawyers.
3. Anderson v DPP (Supreme Court of Victoria) – Advice on merits of a conviction appeal on a charge of murder, unled (ongoing). Instructed by Sandra Gaunt, SLQK Lawyers.
4. DPP v Anderson (Supreme Court of Victoria) – led by Tim Marsh, representing the client in the plea hearing on a charge of murder, following conviction at trial.  Instructed by Sandra Gaunt, SLQK Lawyers.
5. Bangoura v DPP (Supreme Court of Victoria) – led by Dermot Dann KC in appeal proceedings, after provided initial pro-bono (second opinion) advice unled on appeal prospects to obtain VLA funding. Instructed by SLKQ Lawyers. (Ongoing)
6. Harper v DPP: Advice on appeal prospects for conviction on charge of murder – unled. Instructed by SLKQ Lawyers. 
7. DPP v Williams (Supreme Court of Victoria) – led by Diana Price, representing the defence in a plea for murder. Instructed by Sally Wilson from Sally Wilson Legal (as it then was).
8. DPP v Hooper (Supreme Court of Victoria) (Provision of advice and research paper reviewing authorities to support complex Bugmy submissions for a Supreme Court plea being conducted by Julian McMahon SC and Diana Price.
9. Pianto v Trustees of the Christian Brothers (Supreme Court of Victoria) – led by John Noonan QC in defending a significant damages claim for historical sexual abuse. Instructed by Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers. (Settled).
10. DPP v Schiavone (Committal proceedings) – unled. Complex brief involving charges which include pervert course of justice and perjury. Instructed by SLKQ Lawyers. (Ongoing).
11. DPP v Wandin-Acott (County Court) – Conducted committal proceedings and County Court Plea. Resolution post committal from aggravated carjacking to carjacking. Sentence obtained on the plea was in the bottom percentile for this offence. Instructed by VALS.
12. DPP v Williams (County Court) – conducted committal proceedings and County Court plea on burglary and firearm offences.  Instructed by VLA, Melbourne.
13. Forbes v NDIA (Administrative Appeals Tribunal) – pro-bono – judicial review, applicant with end stage renal disease. Successful outcome – settlement in favour of applicant.
14. Fulton v NDIA (Administrativ PP (County Court) –  Instructed by the OPP in a two day appeal against conviction hearing for charges of stalking and persistent breach of family violence intervention order. (Ongoing).
15. Rhandawa v DPP (County Court) – Instructed by the OPP in a four day appeal against conviction hearing for dangerous driving and other offences. (Ongoing).
16. R v Harrouk (Magistrates Court) – Instructed by the OPP to appear and advise on complex ‘deal proceeds of crime’ case linked to fraud crimes.
17. Police v Gaiton (Magistrates Court) – contested hearing; client acquitted of breach of intervention order charges. Instructed by VWLAC.
18. Karajas v Bolitho (VCAT) – defence of complex residential tenancy claim, instructed by Robert Wood Solicitors. (Resolved).

The information referred to above has been supplied by the barrister concerned. Neither Victorian Bar Inc nor the barrister’s clerk have independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information and neither accepts any responsibility in that regard.