Peter Faris

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Peter Faris, QC, is a criminal barrister, media commentator and former radio broadcaster in Melbourne, Australia.

He commenced practice as a solicitor in 1963 under the tutelage of the famous Australian defence lawyer Frank Galbally. He rapidly became a very successful advocate with a fearsome reputation for tough talk and tough lawyering.

Faris signed the roll of counsel of the Victorian Bar in 1970 and practiced as defence and prosecuting counsel in serious criminal cases. In the mid-1980s he "took silk" and became a Queen's Counsel. Since that time he has remained at the coalface of criminal law in Australia, appearing in some of the country's most sensational criminal trials.

From 1989 to 1990 he was chairman of Australia's peak crime-fighting taskforce, the National Crime Authority (now the Australian Crime Commission).

After leaving the NCA Faris returned to private practice as a barrister. He now combines his legal practice with his double life as a blogger, broadcaster and media commentator.

As well as prosecuting and defending criminal trials, his practice includes appearing for witnesses summoned by investigative crime and corruption bodies and conducting appeals against the decisions of those bodies.

His bluntness of expression and conservative political views tend to alienate his opponents, but they also earned his weekly 3AW radio spot an enthusiastic following.

In 2007 Faris asserted in the media that cocaine use was rife among Melbourne's legal profession, prompting an investigation of him by the Victorian Bar's ethics committee. In response, Faris accused the committee of shooting the messenger and announced that he would resign his Victorian Bar membership to practice as independent counsel.