Greg Barns SC

Greg Barns SC was called to the Bar in Victoria in 1986, where he practised until 1989. Since 2003 he has been a member of the Tasmanian Bar and is also an interstate member of the Victorian and Western Australian Bars. Greg practices in the areas of criminal law, administrative law, and human rights, including sexual abuse, prison and forced adoption cases.

He graduated BA/LLB from Monash University in 1984. Since 2014 Greg has been a sessional lecturer at RMIT University since 2014. He is a former President of the Australian Lawyers Alliance. He was appointed Senior Counsel in Tasmania in 2020. He is Chair of the Prisoners Legal Service in Tasmania and is a Patron of the Justice Reform Initiative.

Leading cases

• Commonwealth v Wood [2006] FCA 60 (junior counsel to Stephen Estcourt QC and Duncan Kerr SC)
• R v Benbrika and ors (2008) (acted for one of the accused in the so called Melbourne terrorism trial which ran from February until September 2008)
• Startup v State of Tasmania (2010) TASCCA 5 (introduction of Verdins principles in Tasmania)
• McMillan v Territory Insurance Office Board [2011] NTSC 72 (successfully opposing the respondent’s application to have the court adopt a table of discounts for damages where alcohol involved in vehicle accidents)
• Pickett v The State of Tasmania [2011] TASSC 907 (junior to Stephen Estcourt QC declaration that prisoner had been held in conditions contrary to law)
• DZAAM v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2013] FCA 128 (review of IAA decision)
• Hall v Tasmania [2015] TASCCA 6 (sentence appeal)
• Croswell v Tasmania [2015] TASCCA 14 (conviction and sentence appeal)
• Mulholland v Tasmania [2017] TASCCA 2 (sentence appeal)
• Wilson v Tasmania [2017] TASCCA 11 (sentence appeal)
• Paite v Tasmania [2019] TASCCA 5 (conviction appeal)
• VFWQ v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 230 (refugee appeal)
• Swannick v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 490 (unsuccessfully opposing revocation of visa)
• Logan v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 1068 (successfully opposing revocation of visa)
• Perera v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2021] FCA 403 (successfully opposing revocation of visa)
• Dunn v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2021] FCA 488 (successfully opposing revocation of visa)

Legal Publications and Conference Papers

• A Treaty – The Future Will Deliver (2002) 5(21) Indigenous Law Bulletin 13
• Prison conditions and the right to a fair trial: R v Benbrika (Ruling No 20) [2008] VSC 80 (2008) 89 Precedent 45
• (w Lucy Green) Applications for judge-alone trials (2017) 142 Precedent 42
• (w Kaylene Downey) Participation in social media by potential jurors (2017) 5 Griffith Journal of Law and Human Dignity 88
• (w Lisanne Adam) Digital strip searches in Australia: A threat to the privilege against self-incrimination (2019) 45 Alternative Law Journal 222
• (w Tom Percy QC) Trial by judge alone (2020) 161 Precedent 18
• Prisoners and barriers to their access to legal services, National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference (Hobart 2010)
• Recent developments in criminal law, Law Society of Tasmania Criminal Law Conference (Hobart 2016)
• Jury selection reform in the age of trial by media, Speech to Carroll and O’Dea Lunchtime Seminar (Sydney 2019)
• Drug Driving Law Reform Panel Discussion, Medicinal Cannabis Conference (Tweed Heads 2019)
• Jury Trials in the age of social media, Speech to the Medico-Legal Society Victoria, (May 2021)

Professional Memberships

• Australian Lawyers Alliance
• Law Society Tasmania
• Tasmanian Bar
• Victorian Bar
• Western Australian Bar