The Post Sentence Authority welcomes new sessional member, retired County Court Judge, His Honour Chris O’Neill.
Chris was admitted to practice as a lawyer in 1979. After 12 years working as a solicitor in general practice, he joined the Victorian Bar in 1991 where he practised in common law, including personal injuries, medical negligence, professional disciplinary tribunals, and Coronial inquests.
He was appointed a Judge of the County Court in 2007 and sat in both the common law and criminal jurisdictions. He was Judge in Charge of the Common Law Division from 2015 to 2018.
Significantly, Chris was Judge in Charge of the Appeals and Post Sentence Applications (APSA) List of the Court from 2019 to 2021. In this role, he led the Court’s work relating to post sentence orders.
Chris retired from the County Court at the end of 2021.
Outside his decision-making, Chris has had a strong and long interest in legal training. He has lectured at the Victorian Bar Readers’ Course, taught judgment writing within the County Court and through the Judicial College of Victoria, and taught advocacy in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. This demonstrates his commitment to sharing his knowledge and assisting others.