Eugene Renard

Practice

Eugene Renard practises in criminal defence, with a particular focus on jury and judge-alone trials. He appears unled in the District and Supreme Courts, as junior counsel in the Court of Criminal Appeal, and in the Local and Children’s Courts. He accepts briefs throughout New South Wales, including in regional and remote locations, and in all Australian courts and tribunals.

His trial work spans serious State and Commonwealth offences, including sexual offence proceedings, drug supply, manufacture and importation, fraud and money laundering, robbery, serious assault and property offences. He accepts briefs in privately funded matters and under grants of legal aid, including matters proceeding under the Early Appropriate Guilty Pleas scheme.

Beyond the criminal courts, he appears in coronial inquests and commissions of inquiry, High Risk Offender applications, Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment proceedings and State Parole Authority hearings, and acts for wrongfully prosecuted clients in intentional tort claims against the State of NSW, including for malicious prosecution and unlawful arrest.

Before coming to the Bar in 2023, he spent the better part of a decade at Legal Aid NSW, latterly as a Solicitor Advocate conducting jury and judge-alone trials in the District Court, and was an accredited specialist in criminal law.

Areas of Work

Trials

Jury and judge-alone trials, appearing unled, in the District and Supreme Courts; defended hearings in the Local and Children’s Courts. He has appeared as an advocate in more than 20 trials.

Appeals

Conviction and sentence appeals in the Court of Criminal Appeal, appeals from the Local Court to the District Court, and appeals to the Supreme Court.

Sentence and parole

Sentence proceedings across all jurisdictions, and State Parole Authority hearings.

Bail

Release and detention applications, including in the Supreme Court.

Inquests and inquiries

Coronial inquests and commissions of inquiry.

High risk offenders and forensic mental health

High Risk Offender applications and breach proceedings; Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment proceedings.

Regulatory and related proceedings

Environmental and regulatory prosecutions, disciplinary tribunals, proceeds of crime and confiscation, apprehended violence orders, and traffic and licence matters.

Intentional torts

Claims against the State of NSW, including malicious prosecution, unlawful arrest, assault and battery.

Advice

Written and conference advice on charge negotiation, evidence and prospects.

Selected Appellate Cases

• Edquist-Wheeler v R [2024] NSWCCA 49 Sentence appeal, junior to Mr Hugh White
• Wallace v R [2024] NSWCCA 176 Conviction appeal, junior to Mr Tom Jones (now Judge Jones)
• R v Jones [2024] NSWCCA 236 Conviction appeal, junior to Mr Hugh White

Recognition & Publications

• Recommended Junior Counsel, Criminal Law — New South Wales Doyle’s Guide, 2026
• Committee Member, Legal Aid Committee, NSW Bar Association 2025–present
• Presenter at the Legal Aid NSW statewide criminal law conference Regular presenter to the City of Sydney and regional law societies; bespoke training for Legal Aid NSW and Aboriginal Legal Service offices
• “Causal Link or Contribution? Mental Health, Backgrounds of Disadvantage, Sexual Abuse and their Impact on Sentencing” Legalwise Seminar, 2025
• “Intensive Correction Orders: Revocation and the State Parole Authority” With Rebecca Simpson, 2022
• “The Plea of Guilty (How to Protect Your Client and Your Practising Certificate)” Conference paper, June 2022
• “Procedural Fairness and Protected Information: A Fairer Way to Evaluate Claims of Public Interest Immunity” LLM thesis, University of Wollongong, 2017

Background

• Called to the NSW Bar, 2023 Admitted as a solicitor, 2013
• Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law, NSW Law Society, 2021 Held as a solicitor, prior to call
• Master of Laws (Criminal Practice) with Distinction, University of Wollongong, 2017 Thesis: “Procedural Fairness and Protected Information: A Fairer Way to Evaluate Claims of Public Interest Immunity”
• Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Laws, La Trobe University Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
• Legal Aid NSW panels Children’s Criminal, Summary Criminal, Indictable Criminal, Mental Health, and Domestic Violence Law Panels
• Previously Solicitor Advocate and Senior Solicitor (Indictable & Committals), Legal Aid NSW; Mid North Coast Community Legal Centre; private practice

Contact

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.