In the Witness box: A Doctor’s Guide to Evidence

Lineup

• More details about Associate Professor Nicola Cunningham

  Associate Professor Nicola Cunningham

  Deputy Director of Emergency Medicine, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne | Director, Fidelis Forensics Associate Professor Nicola Cunningham is an emergency physician and clinical forensic physician with more than 20 years’ experience working at the intersection of frontline medicine and law. She holds specialist Fellowships in Emergency Medicine and Clinical Forensic Medicine, together with master’s degrees in Forensic Medicine, Health and Medical Law, and Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors. For almost two decades, Nicola directed Australia’s largest forensic medical training program, preparing emergency physicians, general practitioners and clinical forensic medicine registrars to undertake forensic examinations and navigate legal processes with competence. She is the current Chair of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine’s Quality and Patient Safety Advisory Committee and Chief Examiner for the Faculty of Clinical Forensic Medicine at the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. Nicola is Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Communiqués, an internationally recognised patient safety initiative translating coronial findings into practical lessons for clinicians. A highly regarded educator, she equips clinicians with practical, evidence-informed strategies for presenting clear, confident and credible medical evidence in court.

• More details about Dr JoAnn Parkin

  Dr JoAnn Parkin

  Acting Director, Department of Forensic Medicine, Gold Coast University Hospital | Forensic Expert, Fidelis Forensics Dr Jo Ann Parkin is a forensic physician and Fellow of the Faculty of Clinical Forensic Medicine at the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, with a background in emergency medicine. As Acting Director of the Department of Forensic Medicine at Gold Coast University Hospital, Jo has delivered an innovative service model providing timely, integrated health and forensic care within a trauma-informed health setting. She also practises as a forensic expert within the highly specialised team at Fidelis Forensics. Jo has 17 years’ frontline experience in clinical forensic medicine. She previously worked as a senior physician and medical lead for training and research at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, where she advanced awareness of non-fatal strangulation. An experienced tertiary lecturer and researcher across biomedical and forensic disciplines, Jo continues to advocate for and promote education and research relating to non-fatal strangulation. Her combined clinical, forensic and educational expertise supports clinicians to understand the evidentiary implications of their practice and approach legal proceedings with greater clarity and confidence.

• More details about Dr Caroline Bolt

  Dr Caroline Bolt

  Emergency Medicine Physician | Monash Health| Forensic Expert, Fidelis Forensics Dr Caroline Bolt has been a Fellow of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine since 2013. Her emergency medicine career has included work across tertiary trauma centres, regional emergency departments and tertiary paediatric centres. She currently practises in a busy mixed emergency department at Monash Health. Caroline has an extensive background of clinical forensic medicine and a particular interest in the intersection between forensic and emergency medicine. Her combined experience enables her to interpret the mechanisms and consequences of injury and illness through both clinical and legal lenses and to provide expert opinions to courts. Caroline has an established knowledge base of giving evidence and understands the pressures, complexities and anxiety that can accompany a court appearance. She also has a strong interest in quality, safety and systems improvement, grounded in her belief that safety within medicine is fundamentally cultural and supported by respected, valued and cohesive teams.

• More details about Dr Rachel Marr

  Dr Rachel Marr

  Forensic Physician | Gold Coast University Hospital | Forensic Expert, Fidelis Forensics Dr Rachel Marr is a general practitioner and forensic physician with more than 10 years’ experience across general practice and forensic medicine. Having previously practised in Victoria, she is now based at Gold Coast University Hospital in Queensland. Rachel regularly provides expert opinions and gives evidence in court on matters including mechanisms and seriousness of injury, sexual assault, interpersonal violence, clinical forensic toxicology, standards of medical practice, and coronial questions concerning manner of death. She also undertakes forensic examinations in relation to alleged offences. Her combined clinical and forensic practice enables her to interpret complex medical information and communicate it clearly within criminal and coronial proceedings. Rachel is a member of the Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Association and The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. Alongside her clinical and expert-witness work, she trains clinicians to recognise and respond to family violence, non-fatal strangulation and sexual violence, bringing practical forensic expertise to contemporary clinical practice.

• More details about Meg Bagnall

  Meg Bagnall

  Family Violence Specialist, Fidelis Forensics Meg Bagnall has dedicated her career to supporting communities in the context of gendered violence. For more than a decade, her work has focused on the interrelationship between substance use and domestic, family and sexual violence, including how stigma, discrimination and systems shape recognition, safety and access to support. Meg collaborates with clinical forensic medicine, health, police, courts and family violence specialists to strengthen responses to non-fatal strangulation and other forms of gendered violence. Her contribution centres on translating clinical and forensic evidence into practical, violence-informed responses that improve recognition, risk management and equitable access to support.

• More details about Audrey Jamieson

  Audrey Jamieson

  Coroner, Coroners Court of Victoria | Magistrate Coroner Audrey Jamieson, BA, LLB, GradDipBioethics, was appointed a Magistrate in December 2004 and a coroner in June 2005. She began her career as a nurse, specialising in cardiothoracic intensive care, before completing arts and law degrees at Monash University. After completing her articles at Holding Redlich, Audrey joined Maurice Blackburn in 1992, where she became a partner and a Law Institute of Victoria Accredited Specialist in personal injury law. Before her judicial appointment, she also served as State President of the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association and as the lawyer member of the Nurses Board of Victoria. During almost 21 years as a coroner, Audrey contributed extensively to research, ethics and judicial education. She represented the Court on the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine Ethics Committee for 18 years and chaired the Coroners Education Committee. Her career brings together clinical practice, litigation, bioethics, coronial investigation and judicial education.

• More details about John Cain

  John Cain

  Chair, Transport Accident Commission Board | Former State Coroner of Victoria John Cain was appointed Chair of the Transport Accident Commission Board in February 2026, following his service as a Judge of the County Court of Victoria and State Coroner of Victoria from 2019 to 2026. He is also a member of the WorkCover Board. As State Coroner, John conducted coronial investigations, led systemic reviews aimed at preventing future harm and represented the jurisdiction on significant state and national bodies. He contributed to court governance and reform through the Victorian Courts Council, Judicial Commission Board and Judicial College of Victoria Board. John previously served as Victorian Government Solicitor and as Victoria’s Solicitor for Public Prosecutions. His career also includes leadership roles as Chief Executive Officer of the Law Institute of Victoria and Managing Partner at Maurice Blackburn. He brings substantial experience across coronial practice, public law, prosecution, legal leadership and justice-system reform.

• More details about Bill O’Shea

  Bill O’Shea

  Chair, College of Law Victoria Chapter Board | Former General Counsel, Bayside Health Bill O’Shea AM is a Fellow of the College of Law and an Australian lawyer with qualifications in law, science, mathematics and education from the University of Melbourne. He has chaired the College of Law Victoria Chapter Board since 2005. Bill was Bayside Health’s first General Counsel from 2003 to 2015 and returned to the role in 2018. He previously held senior roles at MinterEllison and Hunt & Hunt, where he became a partner and later Victorian Managing Partner. His career brings together legal practice, health law, organisational leadership and governance. A former President and Life Member of the Law Institute of Victoria, Bill has contributed extensively to the Institute’s elder law and health law work. He also chairs the John F Marriott Trust for HIV at The Alfred and AMREP AS Pty Ltd. In 2020, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the legal profession and the community.

• More details about Randall Kune

  Randall Kune

  Barrister, Victorian Bar | Former Magistrate, Children’s Court of Victoria Randall Kune is a Victorian Barrister practising on Patterson’s List and a former Magistrate of the Children’s Court of Victoria. He brings more than 30 years’ experience across legal practice, judicial decision-making, courtroom advocacy and education, including 18 years at the Victorian Bar and judicial service from 2018 to 2024. Randall has taught advocacy, evidence, expert evidence and courtroom skills for more than two decades through Monash University Law School, the Victorian Bar Readers’ Course, the Australian Advocacy Institute and the College of Law Victoria. At Monash Law’s International Institute of Forensic Studies, Randall developed and taught the Graduate Certificate in Forensic Studies, delivering expert-witness training to non-lawyer professionals. His teaching covers expert reports, ethical duties, evidence, procedure, examination and cross-examination. He has published on expert evidence and co-authored the Australian Advocacy Institute’s Advocacy Manual: The Complete Guide to Persuasive Advocacy.

• More details about Uthra Ramachandran

  Uthra Ramachandran

  Lecturer, College of Law | Barrister, Victorian Bar Uthra Ramachandran is a lecturer at the College of Law and a barrister who began her career in commercial litigation. She later worked at the County Court of Victoria as a judge’s associate in the criminal jurisdiction and as a court researcher before being called to the Bar in 2020. At the Bar, Uthra practised primarily in criminal law and also appeared in family and administrative law matters. Her courtroom experience spans the Victorian Magistrates’, Children’s, County and Supreme Courts, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, and state and federal tribunals. Alongside her legal practice, Uthra taught in the Monash University Law faculty for 13 years and has also taught at the University of Melbourne Law School. Since joining the College of Law in 2024, she has taught across the program, including regularly training students in advocacy. Her teaching combines practical courtroom insight with a longstanding commitment to high-quality legal education.

• More details about Maria Corbisiero

  Maria Corbisiero

  Assistant Director, College of Law Victoria | Former Barrister, Victorian Bar Maria Corbisiero is Assistant Director at the College of Law Victoria. She holds qualifications in behavioural science, social work, industrial relations, law and legal practice, and brings almost 30 years’ experience as a lawyer following an initial career as a social worker. After working in private practice, Maria was called to the Victorian Bar in 2000. She practised in courts and tribunals across employment, discrimination and administrative law. From 2006, she also taught at the College of Law, where she was recruited primarily to deliver advocacy training. Maria joined the College permanently in 2015 and now teaches practical legal and advocacy skills. Her teaching uses realistic scenarios and hands-on practice to help emerging lawyers develop confidence and sound professional judgement. She is committed to creating a supportive learning environment in which participants can test their skills, reflect on mistakes and strengthen their courtroom practice.

• More details about Sophie Williams

  Sophie Williams

  Executive Director, College of Law Victoria | Non-Executive Director and Treasurer, APLEC Sophie Williams is Executive Director of the College of Law Victoria. She holds qualifications in Arts, Business and Law from Monash University, and joined the College in 2017 after working in private practice, sole practice and legal education. Before her appointment as Executive Director, Sophie served as a Lecturer, Assistant Director and as representative on the College’s Academic Board. Sophie is also a Non-Executive Director and Treasurer of the Australasian Professional Legal Education Community. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is currently completing a Master of Laws in Dispute Resolution at Monash University. Her experience across legal practice, professional legal education, organisational leadership and governance informs her commitment to preparing lawyers for effective, ethical and responsive practice.