Sam Norton

Accredited Specialist Criminal Lawyer

Sam Norton brings over 20 years of experience in criminal law, having been admitted to practice in 2001. An accredited criminal law specialist since 2008, Sam has been a partner at Stary Norton Halphen since 2010. He has earned recognition in the Doyles Guide as a Preeminent Criminal Defence Lawyer in Victoria and a Leading Criminal Lawyer in Australia in consecutive years.

Throughout his career, Sam has handled countless high-profile cases, with a focus on complex decision-making and advocacy. His practice predominantly involves appearing on behalf of clients charged with serious offences. Sam appears in all hearings from trials before a judge and jury in the Supreme and County Courts to contested hearings in the Magistrates’ Court as well as plea hearings and bail applications throughout the jurisdiction. His cases span a wide range of serious criminal matters, including murder, manslaughter, culpable and dangerous driving, drug importation and trafficking, and serious sexual offences. Sam also has significant experience in white-collar crime, having acted in multiple high-profile foreign bribery cases and many other fraud-related matters.

As a mentor, Sam actively guides lawyers at Stary Norton Halphen and throughout the broader criminal law community. His commitment to nurturing the next generation of legal professionals underscores his dedication to the field.

In addition to his legal practice, Sam is the Senior Vice President of Liberty Victoria, an organisation dedicated to advancing human rights. Through this role, he advocates for the protection and extension of human rights Sam is also a former Co-Chair of the Criminal Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV), where he received the prestigious Service Award in 2015 for his outstanding contributions to both the LIV and the legal profession. He has previously volunteered with the Inner Melbourne Legal Service.

Sam is passionate about criminal law, viewing it as an essential means to assist individuals facing the immense power of the state. He believes in the fundamental right of all people to quality legal representation, and the stakes are especially high in criminal cases. His practice provides him with a unique opportunity to serve a broad spectrum of society, offering his skills and expertise to those in need.

Despite the challenges and intensity of his work, Sam remains deeply motivated by each case, approaching every matter with the experience, dedication, and skill necessary to achieve the best possible outcome.

In addition to his legal work, Sam is also a member of the executive committee of Liberty Victoria, an organisation engaged in the advancement of human rights. In that role, Sam advocates for the rights of individuals facing human rights violations in Australia and internationally. Sam is a former Co-Chair of the Criminal Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV). In 2015 he received a Service Award from the Law Institute in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the LIV and to the profession. Sam has also previously been a Volunteer at the Inner Melbourne Legal Service.

Sam believes that practising criminal law provides an opportunity to assist people when coming up against the exercise of power by the state. It is vital that all people in our community are afforded quality legal representation, and that is never more important than in Criminal Law. This area of law gives him exposure to the broadest possible cross section of our community and a chance to help members across that spectrum.

Despite the intensity of his work as a criminal lawyer, Sam is deeply motivated by every single case he is involved in, and brings his experience and skill to each task in order to achieve the best outcome.