Contact the firm to ask about first consultation terms.
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Oxley Barristers and Solicitors is a small Launceston practice that works only in criminal law. James Oxley founded it in 2023 and runs it with his wife Libby Oxley, who previously worked in criminal and family law and spent more than seven years in Community Corrections. The Examiner described it as the city's first firm devoted solely to criminal law. James advises people before police interviews and spends most of his time in court, defending charges or running pleas. The firm takes Legal Aid work where it can. It suits anyone charged in the north who wants a dedicated criminal lawyer.
Founded in 2023
Also worth knowing
The firm takes Legal Aid funded cases where it can, according to the Examiner.
Not stated on the firm's website. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm.
Office
9-13 George Street, Launceston TAS 7250
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Douglas & Collins is a full service Launceston firm that traces its history to 1838, which the firm says makes it one of Australia's longest operating practices. Criminal work sits inside its litigation team. Associate Mathew Williams handles civil and criminal litigation and appears regularly as an advocate, with Associate Rebecca Von Samorzewski supporting him on criminal matters in the Magistrates Court of Tasmania. Director Rohan Foon, a former Law Society of Tasmania president, leads the firm's litigation. It suits people with Magistrates Court charges who want an established local firm. The site doesn't state first consultation terms.
Founded in 1838
Also worth knowing
Director Rohan Foon is a former President of the Law Society of Tasmania.
Lawyers
Mathew Williams, Associate, civil and criminal litigation
Not stated. The Tasmanian Bar says barristers are generally instructed by solicitors, so ask your solicitor, or ask him whether he takes direct access work.
Office
Suite 9, 46-48 George Street, Launceston TAS 7250
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Patrick O'Halloran is a criminal barrister with chambers at Rockingham House on George Street, Launceston. He was admitted in 2002 and signed the Tasmanian Bar Roll in 2018 after years as a solicitor advocate at the Legal Aid Commission of Tasmania, a senior solicitor advocate at the Office of Public Prosecutions in Victoria and deputy managing lawyer at Victoria Legal Aid. His Bar profile says he regularly appears in the criminal trial division of the Supreme Court. He is Vice President of the Tasmanian Bar Council. He suits serious charges heading to trial. The Tasmanian Bar says barristers are generally instructed by solicitors.
Signed the Tasmanian Bar Roll in 2018
Also worth knowing
His Bar profile says he regularly appears in the criminal trial division of the Supreme Court of Tasmania.
Contact the firm to ask about first consultation terms.
Office
Level 3, 113 Cimitiere Street, Launceston TAS 7250
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Rae & Partners is a general practice with a Launceston office on Cimitiere Street and a second office in Devonport, which incorporates the former Levis Stace & Cooper practice. A business directory lists its litigation work as including civil and criminal matters, alongside property, commercial, family, employment and estates work. It may suit clients who already use the firm for other matters, or people who want one firm in both Launceston and the north west. When you call, ask which lawyer will handle your criminal matter and what the first consultation involves.
Areas of criminal law handled
Criminal litigation matters
Civil litigation matters
Office
Level 3, 113 Cimitiere Street, Launceston TAS 7250
Firm details come from each firm's own website. Google ratings are shown as published on Google and don't set the order. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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Tell us a little about your matter and we'll put you in touch with a Launceston criminal lawyer. It's free and there's no obligation.
How we compiled this list
We include practices with a real Launceston base that do criminal defence work, and one criminal barrister with Launceston chambers. For each entry we read its own website or Bar profile where we could, and otherwise published profiles and business listings, in October 2026, and wrote the description ourselves. We list four rather than ten because we couldn't find more Launceston practices that meet that test, and we'd rather show fewer than pad the list. Consultation terms are as the firm describes them, so confirm them when you call.
No firm pays for its place on this list, and the order is our own. If something here is out of date, let us know. There's more detail on how we rank law firms.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws and court details are as published by the Tasmanian Government, the courts and Tasmania Legal Aid in October 2026.
Where Launceston criminal cases are heard
Most charges start in the Launceston Magistrates Court at 73 to 76 Charles Street. Its Criminal and General Court deals mostly with drink driving, traffic, assault, drug and theft matters, and preliminary hearings for serious charges such as murder and manslaughter may be held there, to decide if there's enough evidence for a Supreme Court trial. The registry is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Court
Where
What it hears
Launceston Magistrates Court
73 to 76 Charles Street, (03) 6777 2945
Summary offences, bail, family violence and restraint orders, preliminary hearings for serious charges
Youth Justice Division
Part of the Magistrates Court
Charges against people aged 10 to 17, heard in closed court
Crimes (indictable offences), trials before a jury, bail for murder and treason, appeals
Some indictable crimes can be heard by a magistrate instead of a jury, depending on the charge. Ask your lawyer which court your charge is likely to end up in.
The age of criminal responsibility in Tasmania is 10. A child under 14 can only be found responsible if the prosecution proves they knew what they did was wrong.
Bail in Tasmania
Tasmania's Bail Act doesn't set one general test. For a simple offence, police must grant bail unless there's reasonable ground to believe it isn't in the interests of justice. Otherwise the court weighs your circumstances. There are some important special rules:
Family violence offences: bail isn't granted unless the court or police are satisfied your release wouldn't be likely to harm the safety, wellbeing and interests of the affected person or any affected child
Murder and treason: bail can only be decided by the Supreme Court
Breaching bail: breaking a bail condition without reasonable cause is an offence, with up to 12 months in jail
If a magistrate refuses bail, you can appeal to a Supreme Court judge within 21 days. The government consulted on a new Bail Bill in late 2024, but as at October 2026 the Bail Act 1994 is still the law.
If police want to question you
Police can hold an arrested person for a reasonable time for questioning. The law doesn't set a fixed maximum, but it lists what counts, such as how complex the case is and the time needed to contact a lawyer.
Before questioning, police must tell you that you can contact a friend or relative, and a lawyer, and give you a reasonable time to do it
For adults, police can delay that contact for up to 4 hours in limited cases, such as a risk that evidence will be destroyed or an accomplice will escape, and a magistrate can extend that
If your English isn't good enough, police must get an interpreter before questioning
Tasmania Legal Aid says you have to give your name, address and date of birth if police ask, for example if they believe you've committed an offence
Tasmania Legal Aid says young people under 17 shouldn't be interviewed without a parent, guardian or lawyer present
Tasmania Legal Aid's advice is that beyond those basic details, you don't have to answer police questions, and it's best to speak to a lawyer first. If you're Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, the Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service has lawyers on call at any hour for people in police custody.
Diversion, treatment orders and sentencing
Depending on your situation, there are paths other than a standard sentence:
Police drug diversion: if you admit having a small amount of drugs for personal use, police may offer an adult a caution or diversion. If you get a diversion, you have to contact Alcohol and Drug Services on 1300 139 641 within three business days
Diversion List: people charged with a minor offence who have a mental illness, intellectual disability, acquired brain injury or autism may be able to join this Magistrates Court list. You don't need to plead guilty
Drug and alcohol treatment orders: since 30 April 2026, the Court Mandated Diversion program covers alcohol dependence as well as drugs. The court records a conviction and makes an order that takes 18 to 24 months, with regular court reviews
No conviction recorded: the court can find you guilty without recording a conviction, after looking at the offence, your character and the effect on your work and life
Other sentences include fines, community correction orders, suspended sentences, home detention and jail. Young people aged 10 to 17 can also be dealt with by police cautions or a community conference, which means no prosecution if they complete it.
Annulled convictions
Tasmania calls old convictions "annulled" rather than spent. A minor conviction is annulled automatically after a period without a new conviction for an offence that carries jail. You don't need to apply.
Who
Period
Adults
10 years from the conviction
Young people
5 years from the conviction
Jail of more than 6 months (including suspended), or any sexual offence
Never annulled
Once a conviction is annulled, you generally don't have to disclose it, but some roles still require it, including work in law, policing, prisons, youth justice, teaching and child care.
Free legal help in Launceston
Tasmania Legal Aid: Launceston office at Level 1, 117 Cimitiere Street, (03) 6328 4000, open 8.45am to 5pm Monday to Friday. The statewide Legal Help line is 1300 366 611, Monday to Friday 8.45am to 5pm
Legal Aid solicitors at court: on court sitting days, Tasmania Legal Aid solicitors are usually at the Magistrates Court. Ask the security staff to point you to them
Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service: 1800 595 162, a statewide service with offices in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie, and lawyers on call 24 hours for people in police custody
Launceston Community Legal Centre: 1800 066 019, at Suite 2, Level 2, 42 to 48 St John Street. It gives free advice appointments to people who are financially disadvantaged and in its priority client groups, on some civil matters, including traffic infringement notices, fines and restraint orders. It doesn't generally take on criminal charges, but it does help people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds with civil or criminal matters at the Launceston Magistrates Court
Law Society of Tasmania: its Find a Lawyer directory lists firms by area of practice
Launceston criminal law: common questions
Do I need a lawyer for my first court date in Launceston?
Not always, but get advice first. On court sitting days, Tasmania Legal Aid solicitors are usually at the Magistrates Court, and the security staff can point you to them. If you're facing jail, a serious charge or a family violence matter, it's worth having your own lawyer from the start.
Should I go to a solicitor or a barrister?
The Tasmanian Bar says barristers are generally instructed by solicitors. Some barristers take work directly from clients, which is called direct access, but they don't have to. If you're not sure, start with a solicitor or Tasmania Legal Aid and ask whether your case needs a barrister.
Can I get bail for a family violence charge?
It's harder. Tasmanian law says bail isn't granted for a family violence offence unless the court or police are satisfied your release wouldn't be likely to harm the safety and wellbeing of the affected person or any affected child.
Do I have to answer police questions?
Tasmania Legal Aid says you have to give your name, address and date of birth if police ask, but beyond that you don't have to answer their questions. Police must tell you that you can contact a lawyer and give you a reasonable chance to do it.
Will a conviction stay on my record forever?
Not usually. A minor conviction is annulled automatically after 10 years for an adult or 5 years for a young person, if you don't get a new conviction for an offence that carries jail. Convictions with more than 6 months jail (including a suspended sentence), for a sexual offence, or that are otherwise prescribed, are never annulled.
Are there accredited criminal law specialists in Tasmania?
The Law Society of Tasmania doesn't run a specialist accreditation scheme, and it points Tasmanian lawyers to the Law Institute of Victoria's scheme. Look instead at how long a lawyer has worked in criminal law, whether they've done trials in the Supreme Court, and who will actually run your case.
Why does this page list four, not ten?
We only include practices with a real Launceston base that do criminal defence work, and we found four that meet that test. We'd rather show fewer than pad the list.
General information only, not legal advice.
Looking in another city? See all our criminal lawyers by city, with a plain English guide to how it works.
