JEREMY KING

Jeremy King is a Principal Lawyer and head of the Police Misconduct team at Robinson Gill.

Holding the powerful to account

With an imposing track record of high-profile actions against the Victorian police, Jeremy is at the forefront of the fight for police oversight and accountability. Through his landmark litigation and advocacy work, he has played a key role in shaping legislative reform across Australia. 

Police misconduct

With cases regularly appearing in the media spotlight, Jeremy has acted for countless vulnerable individuals who have fallen victim to mistreatment by the state. In the face of fierce opposition, he has been responsible for some of the most successful claims ever brought against the Victorian police. 

Working at the intersection of civil, criminal and human rights law right up to the Supreme Court, Jeremy is no stranger to raising novel arguments without precedent. Working closely with expert witnesses and counsel, he routinely pushes the limits of a legal system which is often still playing catch-up.

An advocate for reform

With one eye always fixed on the bigger picture, Jeremy is an advocate not only for his own clients, but for wider legislative improvements to police accountability. A firm believer in the power of law reform to prevent, rather than remedy, abuses of power, he is a key contributor to various inquiries, including the IBAC Parliamentary Inquiry into the External Oversight of Police Corruption and Misconduct in Victoria.

Jeremy was one of the main driving forces behind the hard fought campaign for reform of the Surveillance Devices Act 1999 to allow evidence from body-worn cameras (including those used by police officers) to be used in civil proceedings. Following extensive litigation and advocacy efforts, the law was successfully amended in 2021, with significant implications for victims of police brutality.

Key successes

• Chris Karadaglis: In 2021, Jeremy acted on behalf of Chris Karadaglis in the highest settlement ever achieved against the Victorian police. A victim of shocking police brutality which left him with a lifetime disability, Chris was awarded a settlement of 11.7 million AUD. 
• Dani Laidley: In 2022, Jeremy represented Dani Laidley in a notoriously high-profile settlement after confidential custody photographs were leaked to the media by police.
• Eathan Cruse: Acted in the high-profile case of Cruse v State of Victoria (2019) in which the claimant was awarded a six figure sum after suffering shocking brutality by the police.
• Tim Atkins: advocated for a top-down overhaul of IBAC’s legislative powers following failure to investigate police brutality.

He has co-authored several journal articles:

• “Misfeasance in Public Office – Rediscovering an Ancient Tort” – by Jeremy King and Yusur Al-Azzawi – LIJ June 2018;
• “Police Accountability in Australia: Complaint Mechanisms and Civil Litigation” – by Jeremy King, Merys Williams and Nick Boag – Precedent Dec 2017
• “In Search of Certainty: Police Torts and the Victoria Police Act” – by Jeremy King and Merys Williams – LIJ December 2014;
• “When Justice is Significantly Injured – The Significant Injury Provisions of the Wrongs Act and the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities” – by Jeremy King – LIJ March 2012

Jeremy was also awarded the 2020 Australian Lawyers Alliance’s (ALA) Member of the Year for leadership in COVID crisis.