Dr Julia Quilter

Professor Quilter enjoys a national and international reputation for research excellence in the field of criminal law and justice. Prof Quilter’s research on sexual assault law began more than 20 years ago when she completed a PhD thesis on the topic (2000). She has published widely on sexual assault law reform and alcohol-related violence, and is currently leading the ARC funded project ‘Intoxication Evidence in Rape Trials: A Double-Edged Sword?’ (DP200100101) which is the first Australian multi-jurisdictional study of sexual assault trials and how evidence of intoxication is used in such trials.  

Prof Quilter has recently completed commissioned reports for the Victorian Law Reform Commission for the ‘Improving the Response of the Justice System to Sexual Offences’: Qualitative Study of Rape Trials in the County Court of Victoria, 2014-2019 (August 2021) (co-authored with Prof Luke McNamara) and (with Prof McNamara) a study into the experiences of complainants in 75 NSW adult sexual offence trials, commissioned by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice: Experience of Complainants of Adult Sexual Offences in the District Court of NSW: A Trial Transcript Analysis (Aug 2023). 

Since 2010 she has taught criminal law and criminal justice at the School of Law, University of Wollongong. Before commencing her full-time academic career, Prof Quilter spent a decade practising criminal and public law as both a solicitor at the NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office and as a barrister at the NSW Solicitor General and Crown Advocate’s Chambers. Prof Quilter is a graduate of the University of Sydney (Arts, Honours Class 1 English with the University Medal, 1993), the University of New South Wales (Bachelor of Laws with the University Medal, 2000) and Monash University (Doctor of Philosophy, 2000).