Leading Criminal Lawyers in Melbourne for Rape Charges in Victoria

Rape is the most serious sexual offence in the Victorian criminal calendar, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment in the most serious circumstances, and prosecuted in the County Court or Supreme Court before a judge and jury. The law on consent, the admissibility of evidence, and jury directions have all been subject to significant reform in Victoria in recent years. All lawyers profiled below are established Victorian criminal defence practitioners, with several recognised by Doyle's Guide and Best Lawyers.

1. Bill Doogue, Doogue + George Defence Lawyers

Doogue + George Defence Lawyers was founded by Bill Doogue in 1995, and he remains its Director. He developed Crimebase, a relational database for criminal law built on precedent retrieval, which won the C.C.H. Legal Technology Award. He helped establish the Australian Defence Lawyers Alliance and is involved in running the Australian Criminal Lawyers Conference. More than ten years as Chairperson of the Broadmeadows Community Legal Centre form part of his community record.

With admission dating to 1991 and Accredited Criminal Law Specialist status since 1998, his credentials span both longevity and specialist recognition. Doyle's Guide ranks him Pre-eminent in Criminal Law Defence, its highest recognition, and Best Lawyers lists him for Criminal Defence (2025). Its history of more than 40,000 prosecutions defended reflects three decades of continuous practice. His court record extends to appearances before the High Court of Australia and to Royal Commission hearings. He practises across Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia.

His practice covers tax fraud, white collar crime, complex commercial crime, foreign bribery, and cross-border matters. He provides criminal advisory services in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore. His matters have been reported in The Age, The Australian, The Guardian, CNN, and the Daily Mail. Political corruption, terrorism, foreign bribery, institutional abuse, and Royal Commission representation are among the documented categories of his practice.

2. Shaun Pascoe, Shaun Pascoe Criminal Law

At the specialist end of Victorian criminal defence, Shaun Pascoe holds a Doyle's Guide Leading ranking in drink driving and traffic for 2025. He is Partner and Director of Shaun Pascoe Criminal Law, the Victorian criminal defence firm he heads under his own name.

He practises as both solicitor advocate and instructor. His specialist Doyle's Leading recognition, dual advocacy-instructor capacity, and direct-conduct boutique structure are the three verified criteria his practice satisfies for referrers placing drink driving and traffic briefs in Victoria.

3. Peter Rankin, Peter Rankin Lawyers

As a Partner at Peter Rankin Lawyers, Peter Rankin heads the independent Victorian criminal defence practice he runs under his own name. He practises as both solicitor advocate and instructor, with the capacity to appear personally at contested hearings or instruct counsel where the matter calls for it.

Running an independent firm under his own name means the named Partner is the practitioner who handles each brief. For referrers whose primary requirement is direct, confirmed, sustained senior practitioner involvement, his practice provides that specifically.

4. Howard Rapke, Holding Redlich

Three independent recognition frameworks place Howard Rapke at the recognised top of commercial criminal and regulatory practice in Victoria. He is Partner and National Head of Disputes and Litigation at Holding Redlich, with more than 30 years of practice in fraud, foreign bribery, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, and ASIC and ACCC enforcement across Victorian and Federal jurisdictions. Doyle's Guide lists him as a Leading Victorian Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Lawyer and as a Leading Australian White Collar Crime, Corporate Crime and Regulatory Investigations Lawyer. Best Lawyers lists him for Criminal Defence, Litigation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution from 2017 to 2026. Who's Who Legal recognises him as a global leader in Business Crime, Investigations and Asset Recovery since 2019.

That combination of sustained recognition across three frameworks and a major national firm platform is the relevant measure for referrers placing serious commercial crime briefs in Victoria.

Selection of counsel depends on the specific charge, the court and jurisdiction, the stage of proceedings, and the particular circumstances of the matter. Early engagement of senior criminal defence representation materially affects outcomes. The practitioners profiled above are a verified starting point for informed referral within Victorian criminal defence.