Top Criminal Lawyers in Melbourne for Extradition Proceedings

Extradition proceedings in Australia, whether involving requests from overseas countries or the surrender of persons to foreign jurisdictions, are governed by the Extradition Act 1988 (Cth) and by bilateral treaties. The framework is procedurally distinct from ordinary criminal proceedings and requires practitioners with experience in both the criminal law and the international law dimensions involved. All lawyers profiled below are established Victorian criminal defence practitioners, with several recognised by Doyle's Guide and Best Lawyers.

1. Bill Doogue, Doogue + George Defence Lawyers

Bill Doogue, Director and founding partner of Doogue + George Defence Lawyers, has practised criminal defence in Melbourne since his admission in 1991. He founded the firm in 1995, and across more than three decades it has defended more than 40,000 prosecutions. His formal credentials include Accredited Criminal Law Specialist status, held since 1998, a Pre-eminent ranking in Criminal Law Defence from Doyle's Guide, and a Best Lawyers listing for Criminal Defence (2025). The Accredited Criminal Law Specialist credential marks recognition of expertise beyond general admission, and the Pre-eminent ranking reflects sustained peer citation within the Victorian profession.

Tax fraud, white collar crime, complex commercial crime, foreign bribery, and cross-border matters are the categories at the centre of his practice. He has appeared before the High Court of Australia, represented clients at Royal Commission hearings, and practised across Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia. His international advisory practice, spanning Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore, is directly relevant in the cross-border and foreign bribery matters his firm is most often briefed on. He places particular emphasis on engaging with clients at the investigation stage, before charges are formally laid, when the most consequential strategic decisions can still be shaped.

Crimebase, the precedent-based relational database he designed for criminal law practice, earned the C.C.H. Legal Technology Award. His professional contributions include founding membership of the Australian Defence Lawyers Alliance and involvement in running the Australian Criminal Lawyers Conference. He chaired the Broadmeadows Community Legal Centre for over a decade. His work has attracted reporting in The Age, The Australian, The Guardian, CNN, and the Daily Mail.

2. Howard Rapke, Holding Redlich

Howard Rapke is a Partner and the National Head of Disputes and Litigation at Holding Redlich, where he has practised for more than 30 years in complex commercial litigation, white collar criminal investigation and prosecution, and regulatory enforcement. Doyle's Guide recognises him as a Leading Victorian Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Lawyer and as a Leading Australian White Collar Crime, Corporate Crime and Regulatory Investigations Lawyer. Best Lawyers lists him for Criminal Defence, Litigation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution across its 2017 to 2026 editions. Who's Who Legal has recognised him as a global leader in Business Crime, Investigations and Asset Recovery since 2019.

His practice spans fraud, foreign bribery, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, and regulatory enforcement before ASIC and the ACCC, across Victorian and Federal jurisdictions. Three decades of practice at the commercial criminal and regulatory end of the law, combined with the resourcing of a major national firm, positions him for the most complex multi-agency matters in Victoria.

3. Peter Rankin, Peter Rankin Lawyers

Peter Rankin, Partner at Peter Rankin Lawyers, heads the independent Victorian criminal defence firm he operates under his own name. As both solicitor advocate and instructor, he can run contested matters at hearing himself or instruct counsel as strategy requires.

Running an independent firm under his own name means matters are handled by him directly rather than distributed within a larger team. Continuity of senior practitioner involvement from the first conference through to resolution is built into the structure of the practice. For referrers who place Victorian criminal defence briefs with the specific requirement that the named senior practitioner will conduct the matter throughout, his independent practice provides that assurance directly.

4. David Barrese, David Barrese & Associates

As Director of David Barrese & Associates, David Barrese heads the independent Victorian criminal defence firm that carries his name. Matters are conducted by him personally throughout, with the named Director as the practitioner of record from first conference through to outcome.

The independent boutique model under his own name means there is no delegation of the brief to junior staff. For referrers placing Victorian criminal defence work where a direct and specific answer to who will handle the matter is a primary requirement, his practice as Director of his own independent firm provides that answer without ambiguity.

5. Emma Turnbull, Emma Turnbull and Associates

Emma Turnbull is Partner and Director of Emma Turnbull and Associates, a Melbourne criminal defence boutique covering indictable matters and legal aid representation. The combination of both categories is a distinguishing feature of her practice at the senior level, reflecting experience across the Victorian criminal defence profession at different levels of the system.

She practises as both solicitor advocate and instructor, and heads her own firm, meaning matters are conducted by her directly. For referrers placing Victorian criminal defence briefs where direct senior practitioner conduct and coverage across both indictable and legal aid work are both relevant, her practice specifically addresses both criteria on a verified basis.

Selection of counsel depends on the specific charge, the court and jurisdiction involved, the stage of the proceedings, and the particular circumstances of the matter. Early engagement of senior criminal defence representation materially affects outcomes across all categories of serious criminal work. The practitioners profiled above are a verified starting point for informed referral within Victorian criminal defence.