Sam Abbott KC

• 1996 Supreme Court of South Australia
• High Court of Australia

2004

26 April 2019

9 September 2014

• BA, University of Adelaide
• LLB (Hons) University of Adelaide

• Criminal Law
• Administrative Law
• Appellate

2021

Botanic Gardens Foundation Committee

2020

• Chair, Civil and Commercial Committee, SA Bar Association
• Bar Council (ex officio)
• Legal Practitioners’ Education and Admission Council (Attorney-General’s deputy)

2016

Law Society of South Australia Justice Award – nominee

2015

Australian Bar Association Annual Conference 2015 (Washington and Boston, USA)

2014

Appointed Senior Counsel

2009

Bar Association of England and Wales – South Eastern Circuit’s 2009 International Advanced
Advocacy Course – Keble College (Oxford, UK)

1996

Associate to Justice Cox, Supreme Court of SA

1995

Pupilage at Paper Buildings, Inter Temple, London

• John Bray Law Chapter of the University of SA Alumni Committee
• Criminal Law Committee, Law Society of SA
• SASR Reporter

• R v Richards [2016] SASCFC 79 senior counsel – no case to answer history and procedure; statutory construction
• R v Duncan [2015] SASCFC 19 senior counsel – voluntariness and automatism; fresh evidence; jury directions
• R v Keogh (Supreme Court re-trial; pre-trial applications): (No.1) [2015] SASC 179 particulars;
  (No. 2) [2015] SASC 180 – co-senior counsel: prosecutorial disclosure, witness proofing
• R v Keogh (Supreme Court) [2014] SASCFC 20 Junior counsel – application to take a second appeal – forensic scientific evidence, miscarriage of justice
• R v Keogh (Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeal): (No. 2) [2014] SASCFC 136, (2014) 121 SASR 307 co-senior counsel – miscarriage of justice; role of forensic experts; forensic scientific evidence; (No. 3) [2014] SASCFC 137, (2014) 121 SASR 410 application to tender expert report of witness too infirm to give evidence – business records
• R v Humbles (Supreme Court) 2014 lead counsel – successful application by media to allow publication of juvenile accused’s name and video footage
• R v Keogh (Supreme Court) 2014 Junior counsel – application to take a second appeal – forensic scientific evidence, miscarriage of justice
• Lower Eyre Peninsula Bushfires litigation:
  • Proude v Visic (Supreme Court) Junior counsel – class action litigation, limitation of actions, duty of care of Fire authorities, strike out applications [2012] SASC 184, [2012] SASC 233, [2012] SASC 234, [2013] SASC 154. Full Court: [2013] SASCFC 62
  • Police v Visic (Magistrates Court) Lead counsel – successful defence of charges relating to the cause of the bushfires
  • Lower Eyre Peninsula Bushfires Inquest (Coroner’s Court) 2005-7 Lead counsel – representation in the Coronial Inquest
• Highfield v Urban Construct [2012] SASC 165; [2012] SASC 191 Junior counsel – property, contract, orders against both principal and agent. Subsequent insolvency proceedings in Federal Court.