Director

Raelene Sharp KC was appointed the Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) on 4 December 2023, for a 5-year term. 

Ms Sharp has over 20 years’ experience in both domestic and international legal domains, specialising in criminal law, investigative and administrative law. In addition to Bachelors in Law and Arts (majoring in linguistics), she has a Master of Laws in Public International Law (International Criminal Law) from Leiden University.  

Before being called to the Victorian Bar in 2010, Ms Sharp worked as a solicitor for 10 years, first at the Office of Public Prosecutions (Vic), at the (then) Australian Crime Commission and at the United Nations in Lebanon, where she worked on the investigation into the assassination of the former Prime Minister.  

Ms Sharp was appointed senior counsel in 2022. 

As counsel, she had a broad practice, with a strong focus on appellate criminal law and administrative law. In addition, she advised and acted in relation to the investigation and prosecution of disciplinary and regulatory matters. 

Ms Sharp sits on the Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Forum, the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce and the Commonwealth Association of Directors. She meets regularly with the heads of Commonwealth law enforcement agencies, National Legal Aid and the various partner agencies who refer matters for prosecution to the CDPP.  

Ms Sharp is passionate about the work of the CDPP, providing robust and just prosecution services to the Australian community. She is particularly interested in the CDPP developing its staff to be the next generation of legal leaders, barristers, and even judges, as they discharge their prosecutorial duties as ministers of justice.