Judge Christopher Craigie SC

Chris was born in Sydney on 13 July 1950 and attended Woolwich Public School and Hunters Hill High School.

Chris graduated with a BA from UNSW, majoring in history and then enrolled in the new Graduate LLB program at UNSW. Chris was admitted as a solicitor in 1976 and, after briefly practising in private practice, joined the NSW Public Solicitor’s Office, as the Legal Aid Commission then was, in the Criminal Indictable Section. 

Chris was called to the bar in 1980 and practised exclusively in criminal law. He was appointed a Public Defender in 1994. In 2001, Chris was appointed Senior Counsel, serving from 2002 to 2007 as Deputy Senior Public Defender.

On 13 October 2007, Chris was appointed Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for a five-year term to 12 October 2012. On 15 October 2012, Chris was sworn in as a judge of the District Court of NSW. 

In common with many of my generation, I was the first of my family to attend a university. Although I certainly had a burning desire to be part of the justice system, I was, to be candid, surprised to have been selected as one of the initial UNSW Law’s graduate LLB group. Perhaps there was in my case optimistic weight given to enthusiasm, rather than to any obvious talent. I have continued to “learn the law” throughout a now long career. I remember warmly all the wonderful teachers at UNSW Law School who worked to equip us with the foundational principles required to bring law and justice together in a satisfying professional life.