Areas of Practice

Human Rights Law

International Law (Public and Private)

Administrative and Public Law

Inquests, Inquiries and Tribunals

Mental Health Law

Commercial and Corporations Law

Equity and Trusts 

Environment and Planning

Property

Probate, Estates and Family Provision

Employment and Discrimination

Family and Children’s Law

Criminal Law

Qualifications

Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (City Law School, University of London, UK)

Postgraduate Diploma in Law (Distinction) (University of Brighton, UK)

Master of Social Work (Distinction) (UNSW)

Bachelor of Social Work (UNSW)

Arbitrator (AIFLAM)

Mediator (UNIFAM Medation Award)

SELECTED INQUIRIES AND INQUESTS

Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide - 2021 - 2024

Coronial Inquest: Inquest into the death Samih Zraika - August 2021

Coronial Inquest: Inquest into the death of Melissa Standen - September 2018

Coronial Inquest: Inquest into the death of Anthony Cawsey - December 2017

Coronial Inquest: Inquest into the death of Heidi Cox - April 2017

SELECTED CASES

Administrative Law - Habeas Corpus: GMZ18 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs [2024] FedFamC2G 335

Administrative Law - Migration - War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity: GZCK v Minister for Home Affairs [2021] FCA 1618

Administrative and Constitutional Law and Human Rights - Discrimination Law: Wilson v Britten-Jones (No.2) [2020] FCA 1290

Equity - Succession: Bowers v Bowers -[2020] NSWSC 109

Equity - Costs: Ratkovic v Hadzic [2019] NSWSC 1627

Equity - Succession: The Estate of Colleen McCullough - [2018] NSWSC 1126

Equity - Commercial: Carmelo Adriano Mastronardo v Commonwealth Bank of Australia trading as BankWest - [2017] NSWSC 1052

NCAT - Retail Leases: Heard McEwan Pty Ltd v G Zanetti Pty Ltd - [2017] NSWCATAP 213 

Hague Convention International Child Abduction: Arthur & Secretary, Department of Family & Community Services And Anor - [2017] FamCAFC 111

Court of Criminal Appeal: Jimenez v R - [2017] NSWCCA 1

About

Madeleine Bridgett is a human rights, public law and commercial law barrister with a special interest in international law, coronial inquests, inquiries, and complex commercial and criminal matters. She is a strong advocate for human rights, equality and justice, and undertakes regular work in public and private international law.

Madeleine is also a qualified arbitrator and mediator and is known for her ability to deal with complex and challenging matters. She is trained in trauma-informed practice and comes to law as a second career having been a clinical social worker for over fifteen years before coming to the Bar, specialising in mental health, drug and alcohol, sexual health, adolescent health, child protection, domestic and family violence, and sexual assault.

Madeleine was initially called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2011 and is a scholar of The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn having been awarded the Peter Duffy Human Rights Scholarship and the Hardwick Scholarship. In 2010 she was awarded the Head of School Prize and in 2009 the Oxford Press Prize for best postgraduate law student in consecutive years. She was called to the NSW Bar and joined 6 St James Hall Chambers in September 2016.

View Madeleine’s Curriculum Vitae here.

BACKGROUND

After her admission to the Bar of England and Wales, Madeleine spent a year working for the Niger Delta Child Rights Watch Project in Nigeria, West Africa, for the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales, where she fearlessly advocated for the rights of children whilst actively promoting the rule of law.

She then travelled to Strasbourg and worked at the European Court of Human Rights as the Peter Duffy Human Rights scholar where she was responsible for preparing draft reports and decisions on cases brought before the Court regarding admissibility.

Madeleine comes to law as a second career and brings with her significant experience having worked as a social worker in the health and social care sectors for many years.

Read about her human rights work here.

Current Appointments

Co-Vice-Chair, Women Barristers Forum, NSW Bar Association

Human Rights Committee, NSW Bar Association

Management Committee, HIV/AIDS Legal Centre, HALC

Australian Committee, International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China, ETAC

Publications

Author, Talking human rights, Pro Bono Voco Magazine (December 2019).

Co-author of Health Expectations, An International Journal of Public Participation in Health Care and Health Policy pape, Attitudes towards mental health, mental health research and digital interventions by young adults with type 1 diabetes: A qualitative analysis (June 2018).

Co-author of Journal of Medical Ethics paper, Smoke and mirrors: unanswered questions and misleading statements obscure the truth about organ sources in China (May 2016).

Author, The Law Teacher, International Journal of Legal Education, Book review: Jonathan Herring, Great Debates: Criminal Law (June, 2010)

Awards

Peter Duffy Human Rights Scholarship, The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, 2011

Hardwick Scholarship, The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, 2011

Head of School Prize For Best Second Year Postgraduate Law Student (highest marks), University of Brighton, 2010

Oxford University Press Prize for Best First Year Postgraduate Law Student (highest marks), University of Brighton, 2009

In 2010 she was selected by The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn to debate at the English Speaking Union National Competition and the Cambridge IV International Debating Competition.