Garde-Wilson took up an article clerkship at the law firm Pryles & Defteros,[9] working on criminal defence. After being admitted as a solicitor and barrister of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2002, Garde-Wilson began practising law independently in 2004.
Melbourne gangland killings
Garde-Wilson became a significant figure during the Melbourne gangland killings through her representation of individuals linked to these events.[10] She acted for several persons investigated by the Victoria Police from 1998 to 2006 and came into the public eye during the high-profile trials of Carl Williams and Tony Mokbel.[4][6] During this time, Garde-Wilson became aware that fellow barrister, Nicola Gobbo, had been recruited by Victoria Police as an informant against her own clients.[11]
Garde-Wilson was the girlfriend of convicted murderer Lewis Caine,[12][13] who was murdered in the gangland killings.[14]
In 2005, Garde-Wilson was found guilty of Contempt of court after refusing to testify in the trial of the two men charged with the murder of her boyfriend Lewis Caine, claiming that she feared for her life.[15]
Involvement in Lawyer X scandal
Garde-Wilson's role in uncovering the Lawyer X scandal originated from her first-hand experiences during the Melbourne gangland wars.[11] As a criminal defence lawyer, she represented several high-profile clients who were unknowingly compromised by their own attorney, Nicola Gobbo, who was secretly acting as a police informant under the codename "Informer 3838".[16] Garde-Wilson's concerns about leaks within the legal system and her public questioning of the legal integrity of Victoria Police began to intensify during the late 2000s.[17][18] However, her calls for broader public and legal scrutiny that eventually exposed Nicola Gobbo's role as "Informer 3838" escalated significantly around 2018 when the media first publicly disclosed Gobbo's role as an informant.[19]
Following the revelations surrounding Nicola Gobbo's dual role as a lawyer and a police informant, the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants was established.[11] Garde-Wilson provided testimony during this inquiry, which scrutinized the conduct of Victoria Police[4] and the implications of using a legal professional as an informant. In response to the Commission's findings and the subsequent impact on public trust in the justice system,[20] Garde-Wilson, along with other prominent Australian lawyers, called for significant reforms.[21] In July 2023, following the closure of the Lawyer X Office of the Special Investigator, these legal practitioners, including Garde-Wilson, demanded an official apology from former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, emphasizing the need for reforms to restore integrity within the judicial system.[21]
Notable cases
In 2005, she represented Carl Williams,[4] a key figure in the Melbourne gangland killings, who was convicted of multiple murders. Another significant case involved defending Tony Mokbel,[6] a notorious drug lord who was eventually convicted of large-scale drug trafficking.
In 2016, Garde-Wilson filed an appeal for the first Lawyer X case concerning convicted trafficker Rob Karam, who was involved in Australia's largest MDMA importation known as the "Tomato Tins" case.[8] Convicted in 2012, Karam was implicated in smuggling 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy pills, valued at $122 million,[22] hidden in tomato tins – a scheme purportedly orchestrated by the Calabrian Mafia.[23] This case drew significant media attention due to the scale of the drug importation and the controversial involvement of Nicola Gobbo, who provided information to police about her clients, including Karam.[24][25]
In 2019, Athar Almatrah was represented by Garde-Wilson in a case involving an alleged setup using a fake Instagram account to ambush Rocco Curra, a member of the Mongols motorcycle gang.[26] During the proceedings, Garde-Wilson disputed the evidence against Almatrah, challenging the claims about her client's intent and the credibility of the testimony from co-accused individuals.[27]
In 2022, Garde-Wilson represented Osman El-Houli[28] in the Supreme Court of Queensland,[29] where he was acquitted of charges related to an alleged 400kg cocaine smuggling plot.[30] El-Houli was accused of driving from Melbourne to Queensland to collect the cocaine, but the jury found him not guilty after deliberating for four hours and he was acquitted of all charges.[30]
In 2022, Garde-Wilson acted as the defence attorney for Tony Larussa before the Court of Appeal in Western Australia.[31] Tony Larussa, initially sentenced over involvement in a methamphetamine operation,[32] successfully appealed the conviction and was acquitted of all charges.[31]
In 2024, Garde-Wilson represented reputed Melbourne underworld boss Fadi Haddara[33] who faced legal proceedings regarding firearms charges. The charges included possession of unregistered firearms and handling a stolen Glock handgun.[34] These charges were part of a broader investigation by Victorian Police Operation Taskforce Luna, which was examining the Haddara crime syndicate's involvement in the Australian illicit tobacco industry.[35]
Defamation case against Avi Yemeni
In June 2021, Garde-Wilson initiated a defamation lawsuit against Avi Yemini,[36][37] a journalist associated with the Canadian-based conservative website Rebel News. The case was filed in the Federal Court of Australia under the title "ZARAH GARDE-WILSON v AVI YEMINI & ANOR". The proceedings concluded with a settlement in October 2021, although the specific terms of the settlement were not made public.[38]
Legal action against Google
In 2020, Garde-Wilson initiated legal action against Google,[39] aiming to unmask an anonymous online reviewer she suspected was a rival trying to damage her reputation.[40] In the case, Justice Bernard Murphy had ordered Google, which didn’t object to the application, to provide the registration information of the account along with IP addresses of the reviewer, however it wasn’t enough to identify who was behind the posts.[41] Garde-Wilson tried to get more information including phone numbers and email addresses used to recover account details when they were lost or verify the account when it was created. Google claimed that due to the length of time since the account was deleted, any relevant data associated with the reviewer had been “permanently deleted”.[42] Ms Garde-Wilson said in a statement to The Age newspaper that she would issue proceedings against Google for destroying the account data and failing to save the reviewer's information in a 'timely way'.[43][44]
Professional recognition
In 2024, Garde-Wilson was listed among "The 8 best criminal lawyers in Melbourne" by The Canberra Times.[45] She was named in the Herald Sun on June 5, 2022, as one of "Melbourne's top female lawyers,"[46] and previously in a September 9, 2021, article highlighting "Melbourne’s top legal eagles".[47]
Personal life
Garde-Wilson was romantically involved with Lewis Caine,[12] a notable figure in Melbourne's underworld, who was murdered on May 8, 2004.[48] Caine, also known by the aliases Sean Vincent and Adrian Bligh,[49] had extensive connections within the Melbourne criminal milieu, which were often highlighted in media reports about his life and death.[50]
Zarah Garde-Wilson is a mother to three children. She gave birth to her daughter Samantha in late 2008, and twins Max and Sophie in September 2010.[51]
In popular culture
Zarah Garde-Wilson's presence in popular culture is notably marked by her portrayals in two significant Australian television series. In 2008, she was portrayed by Kestie Morassi in the series Underbelly. Later, in 2014, Zoe Cramond played her in Fat Tony & Co. These portrayals contributed to her recognition beyond the legal sphere, highlighting her connections to high-profile criminal cases and bringing her career to the attention of a broader audience.[52]
