Ruthless Defence is a criminal defence law firm located in North Strathfield. Admitted in 2006 with 1st Class Honours and winning 'Women Lawyer of the Year' by 2009, Ruth Chalmers, principal of Ruthless Defence, has worked tirelessly to build a reputation for being a stand out advocate in court and has amassed a wealth of experience that few private practitioners can lay claim to.
Her particular areas of interest are matters involving sexual assault, assault police, local court defended hearings, cross examination and representing juveniles in the Children’s Court. In response to the often asked question ‘How can you represent people accused of the some of the worst offences?’ she responds ‘It’s not my role to judge a person. That is the role of the Magistrate, Judge or jury. My duty is to provide them with the best representation possible, allow them to tell their side of the story and ensure their rights are upheld – just like anyone else’s’.
Having run over 1,000 defended hearings, she has enviable skills in court advocacy, cross examination, technical legal argument, case strategy as well as confidence in negotiating with difficult opponents and drafting complex court documents. She has appeared as sole advocate against Senior Counsel and has been commended for her advocacy skills in open court before her peers and the public by both Magistrates and Judges alike.
Practicing exclusively in criminal law for over 15 years, she has worked as both a Defence Lawyer and Prosecutor. Starting out at a private Sydney firm that specialised solely in criminal matters she has worked for nearly every government organisation in Sydney before opening her own practice. Years at the Aboriginal Legal Service saw her rise to the role of Managing Lawyer and led to being selected for a specialised team at Legal Aid to work alongside barristers from the Public Defender’s office on some of the most heinous offences committed in New South Wales. Her written submissions were tendered in the Court of Criminal Appeal for complex criminal law matters including murder, ‘gang rape’ and child sex offences.
Since then she has worked at the Children’s Legal Service gaining further experience in running complex lengthy hearings involving multiple co-accused and appearing in the superior courts for children’s strictly indictable charges. Not content to limit her experience to just defence work, she accepting a position at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and appeared as sole advocate on Supreme Court Bail applications, sentencing and appeals in the District Court and contested committal hearings.
Well known and respected in the legal community for being a strong opponent, Ruth Chalmers ensures her clients are robustly represented and fiercely defends their interests till the very end. Whilst some lawyers may turn to water once entering the courtroom, Ruth Chalmers is well known for coming to life. Both an academic and born public speaker with mesmerising improvisational skills she is a fusion of talent most clients dream of and a confident advocate in the face of adversity.
