Natalie Jane Adams (born 1965) is an Australian judge. She has been a judge of the

Supreme Court of New South Wales The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian States and territories of Australia, State of New South Wales. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil law (common law), civil matters, and hears ...

since 2016. Adams was born in

Narrandera Narrandera ( ), until around 1949 also spelled "Narandera", is a town located in the central Riverina region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The town lies on the junction of the Newell Highway, Newell and Sturt Highway, Sturt highwa ...

, and was educated at St Joseph's Convent Primary School,

St Francis de Sales Regional College St Francis De Sales Regional College is an independent Roman Catholic co-educational secondary day and boarding school, located in the Riverina town of Leeton, New South Wales, Australia.. Founded in 1956 by the Marist Brothers, the College is o ...

at Leeton and

Kincoppal-Rose Bay Kincoppal-Rose Bay, School of the Sacred Heart (Kincoppal-Rose Bay), is an independent Roman Catholic early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school, predominantly for girls, located in Rose Bay, an eastern suburb of Sydney ...

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

. She subsequently studied law and economics at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

, where she was a resident at

Sancta Sophia College Sancta Sophia College (colloquially as Sancta) is a residential college for undergraduate women and postgraduate men and women at the University of Sydney. The college has a Catholic foundation but admits students of all religions. Fiona Hasting ...

graduating with honours in law in 1989, and was admitted as a solicitor in June 1989. She later completed a Master of Laws from the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...

in 1994, specialising in criminal law. Adams first began practising in commercial law at Freehill Hollingdale & Page. In 1990, she shifted to criminal law and joined the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). Adams worked in their Court of Criminal Appeal Unit from 1991 to 1993, and later as a professional assistant to the Director of Public Prosecutions, where she wrote legal advice for the Director. Adams left the ODPP in 1996 and worked at the

Legal Aid Commission A community legal centre (CLC) is the Australian term for an independent not-for-profit organisation providing legal aid services, that is, provision of assistance to people who are unable to afford legal representation and access to the court ...

duty solicitor A duty solicitor, duty counsel, or duty lawyer, is a solicitor whose services are available to a person either suspected of, or charged with, a criminal offence free of charge, if that person does not have access to a solicitor of their own and us ...

at their

Hurstville Hurstville is a suburb in Southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is south of the Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD and is part of the St George, New South Wales, St George area. Hurstville is the administrative centre of ...

office and then in the indictable section of their

Parramatta Parramatta (; ) is a suburb (Australia), suburb and major commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney. Parramatta is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD, on the banks of the Parramatta River. It is co ...

office. In 1997, she began working at the Crown Solicitor's Office, where one of her cases saw her assisting the

coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...

in the inquest into the murder of state MP John Newman. Adams was admitted as a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

in 2001, and in 2002 was appointed a

Crown Prosecutor Crown prosecutor is the title given in a number of jurisdictions to the state prosecutor, the legal party responsible for presenting the case against an individual in a criminal trial. The title is commonly used in Commonwealth realms. Examples * ...

. In one prominent case, Adams was the lead prosecutor in the trial of several bikie gang members over a fatal brawl involving

Comanchero Motorcycle Club The Comanchero Motorcycle Club is an outlaw motorcycle gang in Australia and South East Asia and New Zealand . The Comancheros are participants in the United Motorcycle Council of NSW, which convened a conference in 2009 to address legislation ...

figures at

Sydney Airport Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport — colloquially Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney Airport or Mascot Airport — is an international airport serving Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district, in the subu ...

.. She was appointed as the state's Crown Advocate on 28 November 2011, and gained senior counsel status in 2012. Adams was appointed to the Supreme Court by

Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

Gabrielle Upton Gabrielle Cecelia Upton (born 16 December 1964) is an Australian former politician. She was the member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing the seat of Vaucluse for the Liberal Party from 2011 until her retirement at the 20 ...

taking effect on 5 April 2016, filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Justice Peter Hidden. She was one of the judges who dismissed former MP

Eddie Obeid Edward Moses Obeid (born 25 October 1943) is a retired Australian politician and convicted criminal, who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council between 1991 and 2011, representing the Labor Party. He was the Minister for ...

's appeal against his conviction and sentence..

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Natalie 1965 births Living people Judges of the Supreme Court of New South Wales 20th-century Australian lawyers 21st-century Australian judges 21st-century Australian women judges 20th-century Australian women