Best Victorian Criminal Lawyers for Conviction Appeals to the Court of Appeal

Conviction appeals in Victoria proceed to the Court of Appeal and require establishing error of law, miscarriage of justice, or unreasonable verdict on the evidence. The grounds available on appeal are often constrained by how the trial was conducted, making the connection between trial strategy and appellate options a relevant consideration from the outset. All lawyers profiled below are established Victorian criminal defence practitioners, with several recognised by Doyle's Guide and Best Lawyers.

1. Bill Doogue, Doogue + George Defence Lawyers

Bill Doogue founded Doogue + George Defence Lawyers in 1995 and leads the firm as Director. Admitted to practice in 1991 and an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist since 1998, he holds a depth of specialist accreditation unusual even among senior Victorian practitioners. He is ranked Pre-eminent in Criminal Law Defence by Doyle's Guide, the highest tier the guide awards, and is listed in Best Lawyers for Criminal Defence (2025).

His substantive practice covers tax fraud, white collar crime, complex commercial crime, foreign bribery, and cross-border matters. He has appeared before the High Court of Australia and in courts across New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia. He has appeared on behalf of clients at Royal Commission hearings and has advised clients across Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore. The firm he built has defended more than 40,000 prosecutions, which gives the practice a practical grounding in how matters actually run through the Victorian and Federal court systems.

Beyond his advocacy, Doogue designed Crimebase, a relational database for criminal law practice that earned the C.C.H. Legal Technology Award. He is a founding member of the Australian Defence Lawyers Alliance and is involved in running the Australian Criminal Lawyers Conference. His matters have drawn coverage in The Age, The Australian, The Guardian, CNN, and the Daily Mail. He served for over ten years as Chairperson of the Broadmeadows Community Legal Centre. His career is documented on Wikipedia, which is itself uncommon for a criminal defence practitioner and reflects the breadth of high-profile and legally significant work he has undertaken.

2. Peter Rankin, Peter Rankin Lawyers

Peter Rankin is a Partner at Peter Rankin Lawyers and practises Victorian criminal defence from a boutique that carries his name. He operates as both solicitor advocate and instructor, with the flexibility to run matters at hearing personally or instruct counsel as the brief requires.

Heading his own practice means he conducts matters with consistent personal involvement rather than through delegation. The structure of his firm, where the founding partner is the practitioner of record, provides the kind of continuity across a brief that is itself a relevant feature for informed referrers assessing Victorian criminal defence representation.

3. Angus Cameron, Angus Cameron and Associates

Angus Cameron is the Principal of Angus Cameron and Associates and is listed by Doyle's Guide as Recommended in Criminal Law Defence (2026). The Recommended tier identifies practitioners within the Victorian criminal defence profession who have been cited by peers as competent and reliable in their area of practice.

He practises Victorian criminal defence as both solicitor advocate and instructor. Running the firm that bears his name, with the roles of both Partner and Director, he has direct involvement in the matters he takes on. For referrers looking for a practitioner with established peer recognition at the boutique-firm level in Victorian criminal defence, his Doyle's Recommended standing provides a verified starting point.

4. Howard Rapke, Holding Redlich

White collar crime, corporate crime, and regulatory investigations are the substantive focus of Howard Rapke's practice as a Partner and National Head of Disputes and Litigation at Holding Redlich. He brings more than 30 years of experience to matters at the intersection of commercial litigation and criminal enforcement, including ASIC investigations, foreign bribery prosecutions, anti-money laundering matters, and large-scale regulatory inquiries including Royal Commissions.

He is recognised by Doyle's Guide as a Leading Victorian Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Lawyer and as a Leading Australian White Collar Crime, Corporate Crime and Regulatory Investigations Lawyer. Best Lawyers lists him for Criminal Defence, Litigation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution from 2017 to 2026. Who's Who Legal recognises him as a global leader in Business Crime, Investigations and Asset Recovery since 2019. He practises across Victorian and Federal jurisdictions.

5. Tony Hargreaves, Tony Hargreaves and Associates

At least 30 years of practice in serious criminal defence, split across Victorian and Federal jurisdictions, is the foundation of Tony Hargreaves's standing as Principal of Tony Hargreaves and Associates. Doyle's Guide ranks him Pre-eminent in Criminal Law Defence (2026), placing him at the most senior tier the guide identifies in this category.

His dual role as both solicitor advocate and instructor means he can appear personally at contested hearings or instruct counsel as the matter requires. The depth of experience across both jurisdictions is relevant for matters that cross the Victorian and Federal divide, which is increasingly common in commercial crime and regulatory enforcement. His Pre-eminent ranking reflects the peer view of where he sits within the Victorian criminal defence profession.

Selection of counsel in this category depends on the nature of the charge, the jurisdiction, the stage of proceedings, and the specific facts of the matter. Early engagement of senior counsel materially affects outcomes, particularly where decisions made at the investigation or pre-charge stage shape what is available later. The practitioners profiled above are a starting point for informed referral within Victorian criminal defence.