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Peter O’Brien
PRINCIPAL SOLICITOR
Peter is the Principal Lawyer and founder of O’Brien Criminal and Civil Solicitors. Peter is a highly experienced criminal defence and civil lawyer with more than twenty years of experience in NSW and interstate.
Some of his key experiences prior to establishing the firm include:
- Co-founding the UTS Community Law and Legal Research Centre (1996);
- Working as a solicitor for the Children’s Legal Service of NSW;
- Working for the Katherine Regional Aboriginal Legal Aid Service in the Northern Territory (2001-2005);
- Receiving an Award for Outstanding Representation of Children and Young People from the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre (2002);
- Working in a senior role at the NSW Legal Aid Commission (2006-2008); and
- Lecturing within the Law Faculty at the University of Technology Sydney (2006-2013)
Since establishing O’Brien Criminal and Civil Solicitors Peter has:
- Worked on complex criminal matters and appeared in courts at all levels;
- Represented clients in defamation proceedings;
- Represented clients who have been granted Legal Aid;
- Acted for clients on a pro bono basis;
- Represented clients in all major Royal Commissions in the past decade;
- Represented multiple detainees in the Northern Territory Royal Commission, and subsequently being interviewed by Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes program about the case;
- Acting as the instructing solicitor in a false imprisonment case which created new law in Australia; and
- Co-authored a leading book in the area of intentional tort litigation.
Of course his experience and successes extend far beyond this short list.
Recent articles by Peter O'Brien
NSW Law Enforcement Complaints Commission (LECC) only investigated 2% of complaints due to funding cuts. With the pressure of a $6 million budget cut over the next four years, the Commission was struggling to process the rising number of complaints.
April 9, 2020
In NSW, complaints of misconduct or maladministration within the Police Force are investigated by the Law Enforcement and Complaints Commission (LECC). However, it has been recently revealed that due to funding cuts, only 2% of complaints received were investigated in
November 22, 2019
On Monday, ABC TV’s Four Corners program will reveal how a man was wrongly accused in the William Tyrrell investigation. William Tyrrell disappearance leads to suspicion falling on Bill Spedding Bill Spedding, a washing machine repairman, faced accusations of abducting
November 1, 2019
Media Release – 16/09/2019 Members of a Yolngu community in Arnhem Land will attempt to mediate their defamation and racial discrimination case against Channel Seven later this week. Parties will engage in a mediation conducted by the Honourable Stanley Jones
September 16, 2019
The prevalence of unlawful strip-searches conducted by NSW police is an absolute disgrace. A recent UNSW Law School report has revealed 91% of strip searches were conducted by police who suspected a person of drug possession. Under the law, police
August 28, 2019
