CHALLENGES
Located in Rehearsal Room 2 of The Egg
11:30am -1:15pm Monday through Friday
Strangulation charges in the family violence context carry their own specific offence provisions in Victoria. The Crimes Amendment (Non-Fatal Strangulation) Act 2023 (Vic) inserted ss.34AD and 34AE into the Crimes Act 1958 (Vic), with both sections commencing on 13 October 2024. Section 34AD creates an offence of intentionally strangling, choking, or suffocating a family member where injury results, with a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. Section 34AE covers the same conduct where no injury results, with a maximum of 5 years imprisonment. The prosecution will typically rely on medical evidence alongside the complainant's account, and bail in strangulation matters is affected by the court's assessment of risk of harm to the affected family member under the Bail Act 1977 (Vic).
The lawyers below are Victorian criminal defence practitioners with Doyle's Guide recognition in criminal law defence.
Amelia Ramsay is a Partner at Doogue + George Defence Lawyers, having become Partner in 2024 after practising exclusively in criminal law at the firm since 2014. Doyle's Guide recognises her as a Recommended Criminal Defence Lawyer in Victoria for 2026. Prior to admission in 2013, she was an Associate to a Judge of the County Court of Victoria. Her practice covers serious and complex criminal matters including sexual offences, assault and serious violence, fraud, money laundering, and foreign bribery.
Her practice also extends to civil and regulatory proceedings that run alongside criminal matters, including intervention order proceedings, disciplinary hearings before AHPRA, VIT, and the WWCC, and asset seizure restraining orders. In strangulation matters, intervention order proceedings and criminal charges commonly run simultaneously, and experience across both tracks is directly relevant to managing the case as a whole. She appears as solicitor advocate and instructs counsel in County Court and Supreme Court proceedings.
Tony Hargreaves is Principal of Tony Hargreaves and Associates with at least 30 years of serious criminal defence experience across Victorian and Federal jurisdictions. Doyle's Guide awards him a Pre-eminent ranking in Criminal Law Defence for 2026. He practises as both solicitor advocate and instructor and conducts every matter personally from intake to resolution.
Angus Cameron is Principal, Partner, and Director of Angus Cameron and Associates, a Victorian criminal defence boutique. Doyle's Guide lists him as Recommended in Criminal Law Defence for 2026. He practises as both solicitor advocate and instructor and conducts matters personally with senior involvement throughout.
Peter Rankin is Partner at Peter Rankin Lawyers, an independent Victorian criminal defence boutique he heads. He practises as both solicitor advocate and instructor, appearing personally at contested hearings or instructing counsel as the matter requires.
Emma Turnbull is Partner and Director of Emma Turnbull and Associates, a Melbourne criminal defence boutique. She practises as both solicitor advocate and instructor across privately retained and legally aided indictable matters, with direct senior involvement throughout each brief.
Selection of counsel in strangulation matters depends on the specific circumstances of the charge, the bail position, and whether intervention order proceedings are running alongside the criminal matter. Early engagement of senior criminal defence representation materially affects what options remain available. The practitioners profiled above are a verified starting point for informed referral within Victorian criminal defence.