Helen Luu

Admitted

2009

Academic Qualifications

Master of Laws (Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar), Columbia University in the City of New York
First Class Honours Degree in Law, University of Adelaide
Bachelor of Arts, University of Adelaide
Diploma in Languages (Chinese), University of Adelaide
Diplome d’Etudes en Langue Francaise (DELF)

Professional Experience

Helen is an experienced trial and appellate advocate specialising in criminal (including criminal assets confiscations), civil, disciplinary, regulatory and administrative law.

With a particular interest in appellate work including judicial reviews, Helen has presented arguments in the Court of Appeal, Federal Court and appeared as junior counsel in the High Court.

In South Australia and interstate, Helen has led serious maladministration investigations, acted as counsel assisting in complex corruption inquiries and a statutory body reviewing Commonwealth legislation.

Helen accepts briefs in disciplinary and regulatory matters for professionals. She has appeared for the Medical Board of Australia in the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

She regularly provides advice on prosecution prospects to a number of State Government Departments and is familiar with certain offences under the Mining Act 1971 (SA), Environment Protection Act 1993 (SA) and National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (SA).

She appears in jury trials for the defence and prosecution authorities and is approved counsel for the purposes of the Legal Services Commission’s Complex Criminal Law Panel including the murder subpanel. Her practice has also included appearances in the Coroner’s Court, Administrative Appeals Tribunal and other Statutory Inquiries and/or Commissions.

Helen holds a First Class Honours Degree in Law and a Master of Laws (Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar) from Columbia University, New York. Whilst in New York she spent three months at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and visited Tanzania to advise the Prevention and Combatting of Corruption Bureau on energy and mining laws.

Helen has taught the laws of crime, evidence, civil and criminal procedure at the University of Adelaide.

She is also fluent in Vietnamese, holds diplomas in French and Chinese (Mandarin) and has a basic fluency of Chinese (Cantonese). 

2020-Present	Bar Chambers
2017 - 2020	Senior Legal Officer, Independent Commissioner Against Corruption of SA
2016 - 2017	In-house Counsel, Legal Services Commission of SA
2009 - 2016	Prosecutor, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of SA (includes secondment to ICAC and LLM studies)
2008	Associate to the Honourable Justice Vanstone, Supreme Court of SA

Notable cases

BFG v The Queen [2014] HCATrans 131 led by then Ms E Telfer SC- lies direction

Counsel Assisting the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption of the Northern Territory, 2022

Counsel Assisting the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, 2021-2022

Hai Ngoc Nguyen v The Queen; Xuan Binh Tran v The Queen; Thanh Chi Nguyen v The Queen [2022] SASCA 25– junior counsel in appeal against sentence

Kingston (a pseudonym) v The Queen; Maxwell (a pseudonym) v The Queen [2022] SASCA 90- trial counsel, legal argument on mixed/pure successfully appealed against conviction

R v Nankivell [2022] SASCA 87- Crown appeal against sentence

Ryan v The King [2022] SASCA 110- appeal against sentence

Bol Bol v Australian Federal Police [2021] SASC 60- Magistrates’ Appeal

Gjona v The Queen [2021] SASCA 79- appeal against sentence

Quist v The Queen [2021] SASCA 106- junior counsel in appeal against conviction

R v De Sousa Leal [2019] SASCFC 57- trial counsel, appeals against sentence and conviction

R v AK, Church, Latta, Ngatai & Kola [2018] SADC 4- co-counsel, forensic accounting evidence

R v Cassidy [2017] SASCFC 134- appeal against sentence

Harmer v Police [2017] SASC 24- Magistrates’ Appeal

R v Kimmins [2016] SASC 176- extended supervision order

R v Hamra [2016] SADC 4; R v Hamra No 2 [2016] SADC 8 – trial counsel, cross-admissibility

R v B, LK [2016] SADC 92; R v B, LK [2017] SASCFC 7- trial counsel, persistent sexual exploitation

R v B, FG [2013] SASCFC 24 led by Mr J Pearce KC- extended joint enterprise

R v C, CA [2013] SASCFC 137 – trial counsel, discreditable conduct evidence