Bill Doogue

William "Bill" Doogue is an Australian criminal defence lawyer and founding partner of Doogue + George Defence Lawyers, a Melbourne-based law firm.[1] He is an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist and a founding member of the Australian Defence Lawyers Alliance (ADLA). Doogue has appeared in cases involving terrorism, foreign bribery, homicide, political corruption, and institutional abuse.[2]

Early life and career

Doogue was admitted to legal practice in 1989 and became an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist in 1998.[3][4] He began his career with the Aboriginal Legal Service in the Northern Territory, representing individuals in remote Indigenous communities. In 1995, he established a criminal defence practice in Broadmeadows, Victoria.[3]

Notable cases

Securency and Note Printing Australia

Doogue represented two former senior executives in proceedings involving Securency and Note Printing Australia, subsidiaries of the Reserve Bank of Australia.[18][19][20] The defendants faced foreign bribery charges under the Criminal Code Amendment (Bribery of Foreign Public Officials) Act 1999.[21][22] The case was one of the first major corporate prosecutions under this legislation and raised issues related to corporate liability and international investigations.

Abdul Nacer Benbrika

Doogue acted for Abdul Nacer Benbrika, who was convicted in 2008 on terrorism-related charges. In 2023, Doogue appeared in the High Court of Australia in a constitutional challenge to the revocation of Benbrika's citizenship under the Australian Citizenship Act, addressing the scope of executive power.[23][24][25]

Erin Patterson

In 2024 and 2025, Doogue represented Erin Patterson, who was charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder in the 2023 Leongatha mushroom poisoning incident.[26][27][28] The trial involved allegations that Patterson served a meal containing toxic mushrooms in Leongatha, Victoria.[29][30][31] The case drew significant media attention due to its unusual circumstances and forensic complexity.[32][33]

Perry Kouroumblis

Doogue acted for Perry Kouroumblis following his extradition from Greece in relation to the 1977 Easey Street murders in Melbourne.[34][35][36][37][38] Kouroumblis was charged with two counts of murder and one count of rape.[39][40][41]

Andrew Theophanous

Doogue represented former federal MP Andrew Theophanous in post-conviction proceedings stemming from a 2002 bribery and misconduct conviction.[46][47][48][49] He raised concerns regarding the non-disclosure of evidence by the former National Crime Authority. A conspiracy to defraud charge was quashed in 2006, though attempts to overturn other convictions were unsuccessful.[47][48]

Peter Hollingworth

Between 2015 and 2023, Doogue represented former Governor-General Peter Hollingworth during proceedings before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and subsequent Anglican Church disciplinary processes.[50][51][52] In 2023, he represented Hollingworth in proceedings involving findings by the Diocese of Melbourne's Professional Standards Board.[53]

Kumanjayi Walker

Doogue was part of the legal team representing the Warlpiri Parrumpurru Committee during the inquest into the 2019 police shooting of Kumanjayi Walker in Yuendumu, Northern Territory.[54][55] The case drew national attention and involved scrutiny of police conduct, Indigenous justice issues, and community responses to state authority.[56]

Rabbi Avrohom Glick

In 2014, Doogue acted for Rabbi Avrohom Glick during a Victoria Police investigation into historical sexual abuse allegations.[57][58] Police declined to proceed due to insufficient evidence. Doogue publicly defended his client and criticised media coverage of the case.[59][60][61]

Ben Gray

In 2015, Melbourne businessman Ben Gray sought legal advice from Doogue after receiving threatening messages from casino executive James Packer.[62][63] The communications were later examined in the New South Wales Crown Casino inquiry.[64][65][66] Doogue's role included legal consultation regarding reputational and safety concerns arising from the communications.

Dani Laidley

In 2020, Doogue represented former AFL player and coach Dani Laidley following her arrest.[67] He condemned the unlawful leak of custody photographs and called for an investigation into police conduct.[68][69][70][71] He called for an investigation into the conduct of Victoria Police officers and described the leak as "disgraceful" and "unlawful." The matter led to an internal investigation by Victoria Police's Professional Standards Command.

birth name	William "Bill" Doogue
birth place	Australia
occupation	Criminal defence lawyer
employer	Doogue + George Defence Lawyers (founding partner)