She’s been painted on gallery walls, quoted in Parliament, and streamed into homes during some of Australia’s most significant court battles.
Yet behind the precision of her advocacy and the calm of her courtroom voice, Sue Chrysanthou SC represents more than a barrister-she is a thinker, a teacher, a mother, and a symbol of moral clarity in a noisy world.
Across law, art, and public debate, she has emerged as one of Australia’s most influential and respected figures-an advocate who reminds the nation that justice, truth, and empathy are inseparable.
Early Life & the Making of a Legal Mind
Born and raised in Sydney, Sue Chrysanthou displayed an early curiosity for logic, fairness & ethical reasoning.
After earning her Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Sydney, she began her career in commercial litigation-a field that honed her discipline but left her searching for a deeper intellectual challenge.
In 2004, she was called to the New South Wales Bar & joined Level 22 Chambers, home to some of Australia’s most accomplished advocates.
Her ability to combine sharp analysis with empathy quickly set her apart. Sixteen years later, in 2020, she was appointed Senior Counsel (SC)-one of the profession’s highest distinctions-a formal acknowledgment of her excellence and ethical strength.
The Philosopher in a Barrister’s Gown
For Sue Chrysanthou, the courtroom is not a stage; it is a space for reasoned persuasion.
Trained in debate and logic, she views advocacy as moral philosophy in action-a pursuit grounded in integrity rather than performance.
This belief became the centrepiece of her 2025 James Merralls Fellowship in Law Lecture at Melbourne Law School, titled “The Case for Cancelling Cancel Culture.”
Before a packed audience of alumni, judges & students, she warned that mob justice corrodes the ability to think, and that “reasoned persuasion must triumph over viral condemnation.”
Her message was not just about social media-it was about the erosion of civility itself.
For Chrysanthou, truth must always be tested through evidence, not emotion; through debate, not destruction.
A Career Built on Principle & Proof
Over two decades, Sue Chrysanthou has built one of the most respected & diverse defamation practices in Australia.
Her client list reads like a who’s who of public life-actors, senators, journalists & corporations-all drawn to her balance of intellect and empathy.
Her major cases include:
- Rush v Nationwide News-for Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush.
- Hanson-Young v Leyonhjelm-for Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
- Barilaro v Google-for former NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro.
- Corby v Seven Network-for Mercedes Corby.
- Herron v HarperCollins, Bailey v WIN TV, Burston v Hanson, Kumova v Davidson, Heston Russell v ABC & Deeming v Pesutto.
Each case pushed at the edges of media accountability, forcing Australia to reconsider where press freedom ends and personal reputation begins.
Her advocacy is not about silencing speech but demanding that speech meet the test of truth.
Teacher, Mentor & Voice of Integrity
Beyond the bar table, Chrysanthou is a devoted educator.
She has lectured at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) & the Legal Profession Admission Board, teaching evidence, advocacy, and ethics.
Her CPD sessions for the NSW Bar Association and Law Society are renowned for their precision and humour-blending intellect with accessibility.
Students and junior barristers consistently describe her as transformative-a mentor who teaches not just how to argue, but why to care.
Her service on NSW Bar committees for media ethics and law reform underscores her commitment to raising professional standards across the legal community.
A Year of National Recognition-2025
The Lecture That Captured a Nation
When Sue Chrysanthou delivered her lecture “The Case for Cancelling Cancel Culture,” the event sold out weeks in advance.
The Melbourne Law School Foundation Board hosted the evening, with Dean Professor Michelle Foster providing the welcome & James Waters moderating the discussion.
Guests gathered under soft jazz music as students guided alumni through the heritage building-a fitting backdrop for a talk about reason, tolerance, and dialogue.
Her remarks challenged the modern tendency to punish rather than persuade.
She urged Australians to “cancel cancel culture itself”-to restore discussion as the heart of democracy.
The Archibald Portrait & a Cultural Icon
In May 2025, Chrysanthou’s influence transcended law when she became a finalist in the Archibald Prize, Australia’s most prestigious portraiture award.
Her portrait by Peter Wegner, titled “Portrait of Sue Chrysanthou,” was one of 57 works selected from over 900 entries and exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Wegner, who had previously won the Archibald in 2021, described her as “a parent, pet owner, beekeeper, wildlife carer & alleged amateur breakdancer with huge enthusiasm for life.”
He captured her without make-up, jewellery, or digital polish-only the silver bracelet her four children had gifted her.
The result was not a glamour portrait but a statement of authenticity: a woman who lives by principle in a world obsessed with image.
Unyielding in Court & Conscience
The Defender of Principle in Public Debate
In 2025, Chrysanthou’s legal calendar reflected both her range and resolve.
She represented Lesley Turner, CEO of the Central Land Council, in Darwin’s Federal Court, exposing how false media releases had misled over 1,000 journalists.
Her submissions reframed the case from politics to ethics, calling out the “weaponisation of misinformation” and restoring her client’s reputation.
Around the same time, she appeared at the Bondi Junction inquest, representing the families of victims Ashlee Good, Jade Young & Dawn Singleton.
Her cross-examination of the psychiatrist who had treated killer Joel Cauchi for years forced a public retraction of claims that the attack was driven by sexual frustration or hatred of women.
Her questioning was relentless yet humane-extracting truth while shielding the dignity of those left behind.
Guardian of Confidentiality & Accountability
Earlier in April 2025, she appeared in the Federal Court seeking a contempt referral after an alleged breach of a non-disclosure order in a major employment case linked to Antoinette Lattouf.
Despite months of ignored correspondence from media lawyers, Chrysanthou pressed for accountability.
Her insistence that “confidentiality is not optional” led the court to order detailed filings-a hallmark of her commitment to the principle that even the powerful must obey the law.
Commanding the Lehrmann Appeal
By August 2025, national attention turned to the Bruce Lehrmann appeal, a case that tested the boundary between journalism and justice.
Representing Lisa Wilkinson, Chrysanthou argued that the The Project interview with Brittany Higgins met the test of public interest & responsible reporting.
She told the court that “a young man who knows a woman is very drunk knows she cannot consent-this is not a legal nuance; it’s a community standard.”
Her composure contrasted with the confusion of Lehrmann’s counsel, drawing praise for her clarity, tone & command of detail.
It was a reminder that true advocacy is not volume-it’s logic.
Motherhood, Humanity & the Bracelet That Anchors Her
Behind every headline & courtroom transcript is a woman with an ordinary life filled with extraordinary balance.
Sue Chrysanthou is a mother of four, a beekeeper, wildlife rescuer, and devoted pet owner.
Her home hums with life, from bees to children to rescued animals-a world far removed from the legal chambers she commands.
The only jewellery she wears is a silver bracelet gifted by her children, a symbol of what keeps her grounded.
It reminds her that truth without kindness is hollow -a principle that quietly defines her approach to justice.
Championing Journalistic Integrity & Legal Reform
At the Cairns Crocodiles Conference 2025, Sue Chrysanthou delivered a powerful keynote on defamation reform & media responsibility.
“Every change since 1974,” she declared, “has been against plaintiffs and in favour of the media.”
She argued that while free expression is vital, it must not excuse distortion.
She warned that AI-generated deepfakes, algorithmic defamation, and digital amplification of lies pose urgent new challenges.
Her stance was not against the press-it was for the public.
In her words, “Technology must serve truth, not distort it.”
Her reform agenda continues to influence policy debates around digital accountability & freedom of information.
The Educator, The Reformer, The Ethicist
Sue Chrysanthou’s dual identity as teacher and practitioner has made her a bridge between academia and the courtroom.
Her lectures at UTS and the Legal Profession Admission Board inspire advocates to think ethically, not just tactically.
She reminds students that persuasion is built on empathy, not ego.
Her leadership on NSW Bar media-ethics committees ensures that Australia’s legal profession stays intellectually rigorous and morally awake-even in a world driven by speed & spectacle.
Public Recognition & Enduring Respect
Repeatedly listed in Doyle’s Guide & Best Lawyers Australia, Sue Chrysanthou is recognised nationally as a leader in Defamation, Media, and Entertainment Law.
Yet her reputation rests not on titles but temperament.
Colleagues call her “the lawyer who prepares like a surgeon and speaks like a poet.”
Observers of live streamed hearings often comment that she is measured, never merciless-an advocate who wins with grace rather than aggression.
Her public image, reinforced by Peter Wegner’s portrait, has made her a cultural figure as much as a legal one-a person who reminds Australia that dignity and strength can coexist.
A Quiet Critic of the System
Away from court, Sue Chrysanthou speaks candidly about what she sees as the quiet erosion of fairness within Australian defamation law.
She believes procedural shortcuts and the “serious harm threshold” have made justice harder for ordinary citizens.
Her critique is not rebellion; it’s renewal-an effort to keep the law aligned with its moral purpose.
Her advocacy for balance between reputation and expression continues to shape reform discussions nationwide.
Legacy-The Ethic That Outlasts the Echo
To watch Sue Chrysanthou SC at work is to see intellect, empathy & endurance in perfect balance.
Her courtroom arguments are calm but surgical, her reasoning moral yet pragmatic.
She stands as proof that law, when practised with conscience, can still be an art form.
Her portrait may hang in a gallery, but her real canvas is the conscience of the nation.
In an age that prizes outrage over reflection, Sue Chrysanthou SC reminds Australians to pause, think & argue with reason-not rage.
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