Dr Gideon Boas

Gideon Boas has a broad civil and criminal law practice. He has an extensive personal injury practice, with particular expertise in historical sex abuse cases against various religious institutions and State bodies (appearing in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court). He appears in criminal law trials and appeals, including in violent crime, drug, fraud, terrorism, slavery and human traffickng matters. He appears in inquiries and coronial matters, as well as professional negligence and discplinary matters. He also practices in industrial and other civil and commercial areas. He is an expert in evidence law, in which he teaches and is widely published (see, e.g., Bellew, Arthur, Boas and Chifflet, Australian Uniform Evidence Law: Principles and Context, LexisNexis 2022, 2nd ed). Gideon has considerable experience in complex litigation, both in Australia and internationally.  

Gideon has worked as a Senior Legal Officer at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), where he led the Trial Chamber’s legal team in the Milosevic case. He has also acted for Radovan Karadzic, accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes before the ICTY.

Gideon has delivered legal training on criminal and administrative law matters, including to the Victorian Bar, Judicial College of Victoria, Police Prosecutors, Victoria Legal Aid, the Office of Public Prosecutions and the Department of Justice, on the criminal process implications of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities. He has given expert legal opinion on a range of matters, including in the extradition and human rights areas. He has consulted for a range of government bodies, including the Australian federal government and Victorian government departments, the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the United Nations. Gideon has published many books, book chapters and journal articles on criminal law and justice, evidence and procedure, and international law.

Gideon is a Victoria Legal Aid Criminal Trial preferred barrister. He is also an accredited specialist criminal law advocate under the Victorian Bar's Indictable Crime Certificate program.

Gideon is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at La Trobe University.

Some of his select recent and ongoing cases include:

• DZY (a Pseudonym) v Trustees of the Christian Bros, High Court Special Leave granted 5 September 2024, awaiting hearing date (leading Dr Kelly and Mr O'Connor).
• CDPP v Corey Salvemini [2024] VCC 750 (construction of s 271.2(1A) Criminal Code), certified for appeal (leading Mr O'Connor)
• Bird v DP (a Pseudonym), High court Appeal heard on 14 March 2024 (having succeeded in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal). Awaiting Judgment.
• Danny Zayneh v The King, High Court Special Leave Application lodged January 2024 (leading Dr Kelly).  
• Trustees of the Christian Bros v DZY (a Pseudonym) [2024] VSCA 73 (leading Dr Kelly). 
• Pending Supreme Court trials for plaintiff victims of child sexual abuse v Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Marist Brothers, Christian Brothers, Salesian Society, Dioceses of Ballarat, Parammatta and others, various Orders of nuns, various Anglican Dioceses, States of Victoria, NSW and Tasmania. various private and public schools in Victoria and elsewhere, individual perpetrators, etc. 
• IN THE MATTER of an Application for Bail by Danny Zayneh [2023] VSC 470 (leading Dr Kelly).
• Pending County Court criminal trials in drug importation and trafficking, human trafficking, violence offences, etc. 
• Ovadia v The King [2023] VSCA 211.