Julia Roy

Contact Julia Roy

Clerk: Lisa Stewart

BAR ADMISSION

2013

SENIOR COUNSEL

Practice Areas

Julia practices primarily in commercial, competition and criminal law. She appears frequently in the High Court of Australia, the Courts of Appeal and Criminal Appeal in New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria and the ACT, the Full Court of the Federal Court and in lower Federal and State courts and inquiries across Australia.

Current Listings

  • Legal 500: Leading Juniors (Commercial Disputes).
  • Doyles Guide: Leading White Collar Criminal Law & Regulatory Investigations Barristers, Australia.

Recent matters

Recent matters in which Julia has been briefed include:

  • Cook (a pseudonym) v The King [2024] HCA 26 (led by T Game SC), a successful High Court criminal appeal in which Julia took a speaking role;
  • Shareholder class action in connection with Downer EDI in the Supreme Court of Victoria, for KPMG (led by P Herzfeld SC);
  • Civil penalty proceedings in connection with whistleblower allegations against TerraCom Ltd in the Federal Court (led by R Foreman SC);
  • Shareholder class action in connection with the collapse of the Arrium Group, and associated transfer of proceedings in the context of the new Victorian group costs order regime, for KPMG ([2023] VCA 256, currently before the High Court of Australia; Led by P Herzfeld SC);
  • 2024 Independent Inquiry into The Star, speaking and witness examination role, led by Renwick SC;
  • Nicholas v R [2024] NSWCCA 144; Whipp v R [2024] NSWCCA 79; Robertson v R [2024] NSWCCA 22; Pender v Rex [2023] NSWCCA 291; Miles v R [2023] NSWCCA 90. Discrete sentence appeals in the Court of Criminal Appeal, instructed by the DPP or Legal Aid, all unled.
  • 2022-2023 Inquiry into the convictions of Kathleen Megan Folbigg, as Counsel Assisting the Inquirer, Tom Bathurst AC KC, in which she conducted expert witness cross-examination (led by Sophie Callan SC);
  • Palmer v State of Western Australia, contempt proceedings in the original jurisdiction of the High Court, representing the Premier and AG of WA, led by B Walker SC, unled on costs.
  • Complex and novel criminal proceedings in NSW and WA, led and unled, including in respect of allegations of:
    • Cartel conduct;
    • Overseas foreign bribery offences in connection with the Unaoil scandal;
    • Breach of UN Sanctions in connection with weapons grade nickel export to Iran;
    • Union official bribery;
    • Proceeds of crime offences; and
    • Insider trading.
  • Proceedings against Meta, Inc. (Formerly Facebook Inc.) in connection with alleged misleading crypto-currency advertising on its platform (led by K Stern SC for Meta); and
  • Numerous appeals in the Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal in NSW in respect of criminal and administrative matters, representing both appellants and Directors of Public Prosecutions (State and Cth), unled.

Julia also regularly advises in relation to regulatory (ACCC, ASIC, OAIC, etc), liquidator, and criminal investigations and proceedings for Big Tech, Big Four banks, Big Four accounting firms and other listed entities and executives, initial public offerings, compulsory examinations and witness preparation, and appeal merit.

Professional History

Prior to commencing practice, Julia was Research Director to the Hon Chief Justice Bathurst AC and Tipstaff to the Hon Justice Hodgson AO of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. She has lectured in law and business at the University of New South Wales where she graduated with first class Honours in 2009. Prior to her legal career, Julia she worked in international humanitarian advocacy with a focus on genocide prevention. Julia has co-authored three editions of Uniform Evidence Law in Australia (LexisNexis Butterworths). She was admitted to practice in 2011 and called to the Bar in 2013.