John Toohey Chambers

Chambers

John Toohey Chambers

Contact Information

Level 3, Citibank House
37 St Georges Terrace
Perth, WA 6000
(08) 6315 3325
0403 817 782

Professional Information

Profile

Darren is one of Perth's leading criminal law barristers, with over 25 years of trial and appellate experience. He operates a national practice and has been recognised in Doyle’s Guide since 2015 as identified by his peers for his expertise and abilities. He is an acknowledged expert in Commonwealth crime and also deals with all areas of State crime, with a particular interest in complex drug offences, terrorism, white collar crime and fraud. He was a former In House Counsel for the Commonwealth DPP and represented many foreign governments on extradition matters at both first instance and in the Federal Court. Since joining the Bar in 2010, he has conducted many high profile trials and appeals around the country involving terrorism offences, wilful murder, drug offences (importation, manufacturing and trafficking), stealing and fraud as well as numerous appearances before the Corruption and Crime Commission as both Counsel Assisting and on behalf of those appearing. He has presented several papers at international conferences and represented the Australian Government on an international inter-governmental panel dealing with Cybercrime.
In 2013 he was appointed Counsel Assisting the Inquiry into the City of Canning by the WA Government.  Darren accepts both defence and prosecution briefs for opinion work, trials and appeals. He accepts briefs in Western Australia and interstate.  Darren is currently Chair of the Australian Bar Association's Criminal Law Committee. He is also an author of several chapters of Lexis Nexis' Criminal Law (WA) and the General Advisor, Practical Guidance Criminal for that publication.
Between November 2018 and February 2023, Darren was a part-time member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Darren was appointed to the office of Senior Counsel for the State of Western Australia on 22 October 2021.

Membership of Professional Organisations

  • Western Australian Bar Association
  • Law Society of WA
  • Criminal Lawyers Association
  • Association of Commonwealth Criminal Lawyers

Areas of Practice

Admitted to Practice

  • 1994 (WA and High Court), 2023 (Vic)
  • 2021 Appointed Senior Counsel

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Laws (UWA) - 1993

Elected to WA Bar Association

2010