First female Director of NSW Department of Public Prosecutions

On 12 August 2021 history has been made when leading criminal silk, Sally Dowling SC, was appointed by Attorney General Mark Speakman to be the state’s next Director of Public Prosecutions (‘DPP’).
Ms Dowling will take over from Mr Lloyd Babb SC who was in the role for 10 years. The Department of Communities & Justice in their media release noted: Ms Dowling was admitted in to legal practice in 1995 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2013.
She served as a Crown Prosecutor for 16 years and has appeared as lead counsel in the High Court of Australia, the Federal Court of Australia and all jurisdictions in NSW.
In 2016 Ms Dowling SC was appointed Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor and Head of the Appeals unit within the Office of the DPP. During her career she has appeared as lead counsel in more than 300 appeals in the High Court of Australia and the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal and in more than 65 jury trials in the NSW Supreme and District Courts.
Ms Dowling said she was honoured to lead the independent agency, which employs more than 800 staff and prosecutes around 18,000 criminal matters a year.
“I look forward to representing our community and providing the public with a prosecution service that is strong, fair and fearless,” Ms Dowling said.
The Women Lawyers Association of NSW is thrilled to learn of this appointment and we extend our congratulations to Ms Dowling.
Image: Wardell Chambers
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