Sophie Parsons is an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist and In-House Counsel and Partner of the firm. Sophie is an experienced advocate who provides advice and representation in a broad range of criminal law matters and appears as counsel in Victorian courts and before investigative bodies such as Royal Commissions.
Sophie has extensive experience in a broad range of complex criminal defence matters in Victoria and the Northern Territory, including sexual offences, violence, drug offences, property offences and white-collar crime, in both state and commonwealth proceedings.
Sophie specialises in serious indictable criminal matters and provides advice and representation at the charge and pre-charge investigative stage of proceedings and assists with disciplinary proceedings related to criminal allegations.
In the role of In-House Counsel, Sophie works as an advocate as part of a team with other lawyers from our firm, and also barristers including Senior Counsel (KC). This role involves examining and cross-examining witnesses, addressing juries, and making legal submissions before Magistrates and Judges.
As an advocate, Sophie regularly appears in bail applications, contested hearings, committals, jury trials, pleas, and appeals, as well as matters involving the Serious Sex Offenders (Detention and Supervision) Act 2009 and the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997.
Sophie’s long held interest in advocacy was enhanced by attending the National Criminal Defence College in the USA in 2017 and completing a trial practice course.
Sophie has also appeared before investigative bodies such as Royal Commissions, and the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC), and in matters listed before tribunals such as the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Sophie has a specialised interest in indigenous matters. In 2017, Sophie received direct referrals from witness and legal authorities to appear as counsel in the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory at numerous formal hearings, representing a range of witnesses including a justice group from a remote community. She has contributed to the Doogue + George e-book on Royal Commissions.
Sophie’s published works include an article co-authored with a colleague published in the Law Institute Journal, ‘Bugmy 10 years on: Principles and practice’ and an article in Advocare published by the Deakin Law Students Society, ‘A Criminal Lawyer on Prosecutorial Discretion’.
Sophie has also contributed to articles on our website:
- What is a Defence Lawyer?
- Trial by Media or Trial by Jury
- Contested Summary Hearings: Procedure and Role of Counsel
- Pregnancy, Children, and Prisons
- Righting Wrongs (the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory)
- The VLRC Review of Contested Committals
Before joining Doogue + George as In-House Counsel, Sophie was a defence advocate and manager in the criminal section of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) based in Darwin for several years. During this time Sophie travelled extensively throughout the Northern Territory appearing in a broad range of hearings.
Sophie is particularly skilled at communicating with people from diverse backgrounds and engaging in matters with a high level of compassion and knowledge of the law.
Sophie was admitted to practice in Victoria in 2011 and began her career at private firms in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Sophie has practiced exclusively in criminal law since 2013 and became an accredited specialist in criminal law in 2018.
