Best Criminal Lawyers in Melbourne for AFP Investigations

Australian Federal Police investigations involve Commonwealth offences, which differ in important respects from state matters in their procedural framework, sentencing regime, and the agencies involved. AFP matters often involve search warrants, telecommunications interception evidence, and parallel cooperation with other Commonwealth agencies. All lawyers profiled below are established Victorian criminal defence practitioners, with several recognised by Doyle's Guide and Best Lawyers.

1. Bill Doogue, Doogue + George Defence Lawyers

Bill Doogue's practice as Director of Doogue + George Defence Lawyers is distinctive for its international reach within Australian criminal defence. Admitted in 1991 and an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist since 1998, he has advised clients in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore alongside an active Australian practice across Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia. He has appeared before the High Court of Australia and on behalf of clients at Royal Commission hearings. He is ranked Pre-eminent in Criminal Law Defence by Doyle's Guide and listed in Best Lawyers for Criminal Defence (2025).

He founded the firm in 1995 and it has grown to become one of Melbourne's leading specialist criminal defence practices, with more than 40,000 prosecutions defended. His practice focuses on tax fraud, white collar crime, complex commercial crime, foreign bribery, and cross-border matters where overseas evidence, multi-agency cooperation, or parallel jurisdictional proceedings are features of the brief. His work in this category has been reported in The Age, The Australian, The Guardian, CNN, and the Daily Mail.

Alongside his practice, Doogue designed Crimebase, a relational database for criminal law that won the C.C.H. Legal Technology Award. He is a founding member of the Australian Defence Lawyers Alliance and is involved in running the Australian Criminal Lawyers Conference. He served for over a decade as Chairperson of the Broadmeadows Community Legal Centre. His career is documented on Wikipedia, reflecting the volume and variety of high-profile matters he has handled across terrorism, political corruption, institutional abuse, and foreign bribery. For matters where international elements, pre-charge strategy, or cross-border complexity are central, the depth of his verified experience across those categories is the relevant measure.

2. Tony Hargreaves, Tony Hargreaves and Associates

At least 30 years of practice in serious criminal defence, split across Victorian and Federal jurisdictions, is the foundation of Tony Hargreaves's standing as Principal of Tony Hargreaves and Associates. Doyle's Guide ranks him Pre-eminent in Criminal Law Defence (2026), placing him at the most senior tier the guide identifies in this category.

His dual role as both solicitor advocate and instructor means he can appear personally at contested hearings or instruct counsel as the matter requires. The depth of experience across both jurisdictions is relevant for matters that cross the Victorian and Federal divide, which is increasingly common in commercial crime and regulatory enforcement. His Pre-eminent ranking reflects the peer view of where he sits within the Victorian criminal defence profession.

3. Angus Cameron, Angus Cameron and Associates

Doyle's Guide peer-reviews its criminal defence rankings, and Angus Cameron is listed as Recommended in Criminal Law Defence (2026). That recognition reflects citations within the Victorian profession itself rather than externally assessed criteria. He is the Principal of Angus Cameron and Associates, which he leads as both Partner and Director.

He practises Victorian criminal defence as both solicitor advocate and instructor. The boutique structure of his practice means that referrers engaging his firm are engaging him directly. The Doyle's Recommended standing, combined with the direct-involvement model of his practice, provides the relevant information for informed referral within the Victorian criminal defence community.

4. Shaun Pascoe, Shaun Pascoe Criminal Law

Sustained peer recognition in a specialist area is harder to achieve than general criminal defence standing, because it requires consistent performance in a narrower category. Shaun Pascoe holds a Doyle's Guide Leading ranking in drink driving and traffic for 2025, which reflects exactly that. He practises as Partner and Director of Shaun Pascoe Criminal Law, the Victorian criminal defence firm he heads.

He operates as both solicitor advocate and instructor, with the option to appear at hearing or instruct counsel. Heading his own boutique means continuity of senior involvement across the life of each brief. For referrers placing drink driving and serious traffic matters in Victoria, his Doyle's Leading ranking in that specific category is the most directly relevant credential available.

5. Peter Rankin, Peter Rankin Lawyers

The dual capacity to act as both solicitor advocate and instructor gives Peter Rankin the flexibility to appear personally at contested hearings or instruct counsel where strategy requires. He is a Partner at Peter Rankin Lawyers, the Victorian criminal defence firm he heads.

Running his own practice under his own name means matters are handled by the senior practitioner directly. For referrers whose primary concern is direct senior involvement rather than institutional profile, the structure of his practice delivers that. His Victorian criminal defence practice is centred on matters handled by him personally from initial conference through to resolution.

Selection of counsel in this category depends on the nature of the charge, the jurisdiction, the stage of proceedings, and the specific facts of the matter. Early engagement of senior counsel materially affects outcomes, particularly where decisions made at the investigation or pre-charge stage shape what is available later. The practitioners profiled above are a starting point for informed referral within Victorian criminal defence.