Leading Sydney silk to be next NSW DPP

Last published on 12 Aug 2021

Leading Sydney criminal law silk Sally Dowling SC is to become the state’s next Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Attorney General Mark Speakman congratulated Ms Dowling, who brings more than 25 years of legal experience and will be the first female to hold the role.

“Ms Dowling has a distinguished background in criminal law and has shown outstanding leadership and legal skills while arguing cases both as a prosecutor and as defence counsel,” Mr Speakman said.

“She is very well positioned to continue the dedicated work of Lloyd Babb SC, who finished his 10-year term on 17 July 2021. NSW has been fortunate indeed to have benefited from the expertise, professionalism and integrity Mr Babb brought to the position over the past decade.”

Ms Dowling was admitted as a legal practitioner in 1995 and appointed Senior Counsel in 2013. She served as a Crown Prosecutor for 16 years and has appeared as lead counsel in the High Court of Australia, the Federal Court of Australia and all jurisdictions in NSW.

In 2016 Ms Dowling SC was appointed Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor and Head of the Appeals unit within the Office of the DPP. During her career she has appeared as lead counsel in more than 300 appeals in the High Court of Australia and the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal and in more than 65 jury trials in the NSW Supreme and District Courts.

In 2019 Ms Dowling was Senior Counsel assisting the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug 'Ice'. Since 2020 she has been a barrister in private practice at Wardell Chambers.

Ms Dowling said she was honoured to lead the independent agency, which employs more than 800 staff and prosecutes around 18,000 criminal matters a year.

“I look forward to representing our community and providing the public with a prosecution service that is strong, fair and fearless,” Ms Dowling said.

Ms Dowling will begin her 10-year term as the fourth NSW Director of Public Prosecutions on Monday, 16 August.

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