Bret Walker, SC, touted as George Pell’s get out of jail card

Bret Walker, SC, has a client list spanning mobsters, Prime Ministers, bikies, fraudsters and those from Australia’s rich list. Now he is charged with leading the case for the jury’s George Pell guilty finding to be overturned.

The man touted as George Pell’s get out of jail card has a client list spanning mobsters, Prime Ministers, bikies, fraudsters and those from Australia’s rich list.

Bret Walker, SC, one of Sydney’s best barristers, who can cost upwards of $25,000 daily, is now charged with leading the case for the jury’s guilty finding to be overturned in Victoria’s Court of Appeal.

The Harbour-City man’s legal brain will also be used in the Lawyer X scandal engulfing the state as he handles the appeal for Faruk Orman, who was convicted of murdering Victor Peirce.

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Pell’s QC, high profile barrister Robert Richter, handed the reigns to Mr Walker to inject fresh eyes on the case in a bid to have the convicted Cardinal walking free again, but will remain as a sounding board.

Mr Walker is a former Australian Law Council president, was the commissioner for the royal commission into the Murray-Darling Basin, a former independent national security legislation monitor, tasked with reviewing Australia’s national security and counter terrorism legislation and produced a report into the Australian swimming team’s ill-fated London Olympics campaign.

Bret Walker, SC, has a client list spanning mobsters, Prime Ministers, bikies, fraudsters and those from Australia’s rich list. Picture: Brad Hunter

Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce secured Mr Walker, regarded as a High Court specialist, to keep him in parliament after he fell foul of the dual citizenship laws and former PM Kevin Rudd used him for representation at the royal commission into ­insulation.

Mr Walker, who was taught English by shock-jock Alan Jones at Sydney’s exclusive King’s School, helped the Finks outlaw motor­cycle club fight anti-bikie laws in the High Court and tried to stop the Rebels bikie gang’s Tasmanian founder being deported.

Gina Rinehart’s children, Bianca and John, hired his service to have a messy court battle aired in public.

Mr Walker has also gone into bat at the Federal Court for access to Sir John Kerr’s letters to the Queen, which may shed light on the Whitlam government’s dismissal.

He managed to get an acquittal for former Cronulla Sharks player Greg Bird who was charged after allegedly glassing his then girlfriend.

The Victorian Liberal Party engaged Mr Walker for its high-stakes legal battle with Charles Goode’s $70 million Cormack Foundation.

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Originally published as Bret Walker, SC, touted as George Pell’s get out of jail card