Drink driving laws are very complicated and constantly changing. The charges can be difficult to defend, and the offences may, in certain cases, carry severe penalties and consequences such as imprisonment, lengthy licence disqualification, and alcohol ignition interlocking conditions on licence restoration. A barrister who specialises in the complicated defence of such difficult charges may be necessary in certain cases to ensure that a client defending these charges is adequately represented in Court.
Mr Walsh-Buckley became a Barrister, based in Melbourne, at the Victorian Bar in 1991 with previous experience in law enforcement, then as a prosecutor and as a litigation solicitor. He has four tertiary qualifications from Monash University and has lectured in law at tertiary institutions. With prior experience as a Captain in the Army Legal Corps he defended soldiers at courts-martial trials. He also summarises important superior court decisions for the Australian Criminal Reports (published by Thomson-Law Book Co). He is the Criminal Bar Association’s representative on the Magistrates’ Court Users Committee, a member of the Victorian Bar’s Law Reform Committee, a previous member of the Police/Lawyers Liaison Committee, and has made submissions to the Justice Department and Law Reform Commission.
As a Melbourne based criminal defence lawyer practising as a barrister he has developed a criminal defence practice with a speciality in defending motorists accused of drink driving and related offences as well as traffic offences generally (such as refusal to accompany or remain for a breath test, refusing a breath or blood test, disqualified driving, unlicensed driving, breaching interlock conditions, speeding, and leaving an accident scene), including culpable driving and dangerous driving matters. Mr Walsh-Buckley is one of the leading lawyers in Melbourne who are specialists in speeding or drink driving or traffic offences generally.
Since 2000 he co-authors a widely circulated law-book on traffic law, Motor and Traffic Law Victoria (published by Lexis Nexis), used by Victoria Police, other lawyers, the Office of Public Prosecutions and the Courts. He has had published dozens of legal articles and delivered numerous seminar papers over the years on defences to drink driving and related offences for prominent legal bodies such as the Law Institute of Victoria and the Leo Cussen Institute and is winner of the Law Institute 2002 Rogers Legal Writing Award. A small selection of titles of some of these articles and papers appears below.
He is regularly briefed by solicitors on clients’ instructions to appear and to defend drink driving and traffic charges at the Magistrates’ Courts throughout Victoria, the County Court and to occasionally respond to Crown Appeals in such matters at the Supreme Court of Victoria and the Court of Appeal. A small selection of some of the names and citations of superior court cases he has appeared in appears below.
As a barrister, he may be contacted through his clerk, Glen Meldrum, who is authorized to discuss Mr Walsh-Buckley’s fees and availability to act, on (03)9225 7889 or (03)9225 7444 between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm Monday to Friday and to arrange a conference with a client to advise on the full consequences of being found guilty of the traffic offence in question or of paying any Infringement Notice and, more importantly, to detect possible defences in a given case and to appear for the client at court if necessary.
If the matter is urgent he may be contacted directly on (03)9225 8734 or emailed on w.walsh.buckley@vicbar.com.au. He confers at his Chambers at Room 12, Level 30, 200 Queen Street, Melbourne, Victoria (Aickin Chambers).
