Terry Fisher

Terry has practised in administrative and criminal law in the High Court, Federal Courts, and State Courts at all levels. His experience encompasses trials and sentences in complex fraud, drug and murder cases, criminal and migration appeals, and representation of military personnel in disciplinary and administrative proceedings in the Federal Court.

Terry has extensive experience representing clients at Royal Commissions, Commissions of Inquiry, Coronial Inquests, Investigative Hearings in the Crime and Corruption Commission, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Migration Review Tribunal, Administrative Appeals Tribunal and QCAT.

Terry has led numerous notable cases. He successfully challenged a decision of a Defence Force Magistrate under the Defence Force Disciplinary Act in Federal Court. In the Court of Appeal, he challenged the interpretation of marriage under the Migration Act and Marriage Act, resulting in acquittal for R v Gowda.  Terry has represented survivors of Brisbane Grammar School, St Paul’s School and Neerkol Orphanage in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse. In the Coroner’s Court (Qld), Terry represented families of soldiers murdered in Afghanistan in green-on-blue insider attacks. Terry was also instrumental in the successful acquittal of Indonesian fisher-people charged under the Migration Act with people smuggling. He successfully challenged the Commonwealth’s now discredited x-ray age determination process, resulting in the release of Indonesian children from Australian jails.

Terry’s early career roles include Legal Officer in the Australian Army, Prosecutor with the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders’ Legal Service, and Prisoners’ Legal Service.

Terry is an activist at heart and believes in standing up for what’s right. He enjoys using his skills to benefit those who do not have a strong voice, access to justice, or the means to defend themselves. Terry was a long time committee member of the Prisoners’ Legal Service and is a member and Past President of Speaking Up For You, an individual advocacy organisation for people with disability.