Kristina Kothrakis is an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist, appearing on a daily basis in the Magistrates’ and County Courts of Victoria on pleas of guilty, pleas of not guilty, committal hearings, bail applications and appeals.
Kristina Kothrakis defends clients charged by Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Customs, Australia Boarder Force, Traffic Accident Commission (TAC), and Worksafe. Her primary areas of expertise include sexual offences, white collar crime, drug trafficking/importations, and also includes driving charges and all summary crime.
Kristina appears at various Commissions including the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) (both private and public hearings), and Royal Commissions. Kristina also prepares submissions to AHPRA and appears at VCAT in professional negligence or misconduct hearings.
Kristina enjoys her role as a criminal solicitor advocate. She works closely with her clients to understand what their objectives are and works tirelessly to try and achieve that end goal. She understands how important avoiding a criminal record can be for people, and has great success in having charges withdrawn, persuading police officers to recommend Diversion, and with achieving non-conviction outcomes at Court. She understands that being charged by police and appearing at Court can be very daunting, so good communication, sound advice and being well prepared are crucial.
Kristina has extensive experience in representing clients accused of deception offences relating to WorkCover payments. Often these charges arise following very difficult personal circumstances, which can compound the stress the client is experiencing. Circumstances can arise in the work setting, which results in charges from WorkSafe. These include allegations of unsafe work practices, or problematic interactions with WorkSafe officers. The penalties for business and individuals can be significant, so seeking expert advice is critical.
Kristina also feels strongly about the restrictive effect that conditions of the Sex Offender Register has on people, primarily those who present as low risk. There have been changes to the law which means that people on the SOR are not allowed to travel overseas without permission from the Chief Commissioner. Kristina has made successful applications on behalf of her clients to allow them to travel. If you are on the SOR and want to travel overseas, ask Kristina to assist you in your Application process. There is now scope for some people to apply to be removed from the Register. Ask Kristina if you meet the eligibility criteria.
Given Kristina’s expertise in the area of sexual offending, she has contributed to two of our free ebook resources on the topics of Dealing With Allegations of Sexual Assault and Understanding the Sex Offender Registration Act.
Kristina’s knowledge spans broadly across all areas of criminal law and she has contributed to our website with articles covering:
Kristina has developed a strong practice in the Appellant jurisdiction, having had many successes in both the County Court and the Court of Appeal for conviction appeals and sentence appeals. Clients often present having had a negative experience with their previous lawyers, and/or the criminal justice system in the lower Courts. She feels a sense of pride when she is able to achieve a result where the client perceives the injustice to have been corrected.
Kristina is a co-chair of the Executive Committee of the Criminal Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV), which has an important role in advocating for its members and making submissions in relation to proposed law reform. In recent times, the LIV has been a strong voice in opposition to reforms which remove judicial discretion from the sentencing process, and the abolition of committal hearings.
Kristina completed a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Science (major in Psychology, minor in chemistry) at Monash University. The bachelor of psychology has proven to be invaluable due to the close interaction with clients who suffer from mental health issues.
Her Greek heritage is an asset to our Greek speaking clients.
Kristina Kothrakis a Law Institute of Victoria Accredited Criminal Law Specialist was rated by her peers as a Recommended Criminal Defence Lawyer and a Leading Traffic & DUI Lawyer in the Doyle’s Guide 2023. Doogue + George is listed as a First Tier Criminal Law Defence Firm in the Doyle’s Guide 2023.
