Sharon Ramsden
Sharon Ramsden | Partner | Accredited Specialist - Criminal Law
Ensuring clear and appropriate advice is provided to her clients is a main focus for Sharon. She provides advice and can appear on your behalf in all aspects of criminal cases, commencing with Bail/Release Applications in the Local Court or Supreme Court, through to defended Hearings, Trials, Sentence proceedings and Court of Criminal Appeal matters.
She is experienced in assisting people with personal difficulties such as mental health conditions and is well versed in the principles that apply to criminal cases where a person suffers a mental health condition. This can apply in numerous ways including, applications under Section 14 of Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020, Sentencing and mental health, not guilty mental illness and substantive impairment.
Sharon’s Criminal Law Practice is diverse and ranges from Local Court Traffic and Driving offences, to, Domestic Violence, Affray, Drug Supply, Cultivate Prohibited Plant, Fraud and Property offences. Sharon has defended and appeared for hundreds of clients in this jurisdiction with successful outcomes.
A significant portion of Sharon’s work involves indictable matters, that being serious criminal offences that are finalised by way of Trial or Sentence in the District or Supreme Court. Part of this includes appearing as Solicitor Advocate or where appropriate instructing experiences Junior and Senior Counsel . Sharon also appears regularly in the District Court, including; Severity Appeals, Conviction Appeals and Sentence matters for indictable offences under both State and Commonwealth Law.
The current indictable practices include charges such as Sexual Assault, Manslaughter, Drug Offences, Drug Importation, Break and Enter Offences, Personal Violence Offences, Fraud and others.
Sharon graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Laws. Sharon is an experienced advocate obtaining Criminal Law Specialist Accreditation in 2015. She has over 10 years’ experience practicing exclusively in Criminal Law.
Sharon’s promotion to Partner in 2019 was due to her continued demonstration of outstanding advocacy on behalf of our clients. In 2021, 2022 and 2023 she was listed as a recommended Criminal Defence Lawyer in NSW in the Doyle’s Guide, which is a well-known independent organisation that recommends lawyers based on interviews with clients, peers, and relevant industry bodies. Sharon has demonstrated a strong determination to do the best for her client whilst in Court each day.
As an Accredited Specialist, Sharon is a member of the Legal Aid Criminal Panel and the Serious Crime Panel, allowing her to appear in complex District Court Trials such as Drug Manufacture and Supply charges, Sexual Assault and Manslaughter offences. Further, Supreme Court Trials such as Murder and Appeals to the Court of Criminal Appeal.
In relation to matters of a particularly serious nature, where Counsel is briefed, Sharon has connections with Barristers of significant experience and skill working within Criminal Law and regularly briefs experienced Junior Counsel and Senior Counsel.
Sharon has significant experiences appearing in the Coronial Jurisdiction; including the Inquest of Matthew Leveson and more recently, the Inquest of William Tyrell.
