First female DPP Sally Dowling appointed in NSW

Sally Dowling SC, who left school in Year 11, will become NSW’s first female Director of Public Prosecutions.

Sally Dowling SC.

Sally Dowling SC, who left school in year 11 to work as a wait­ress, actor and bookie’s clerk, will become NSW’s first ­female director of public prosecutions.

The respected criminal law silk will take up the role from Monday, replacing Lloyd Babb SC, who finished his 10-year term as DPP last month.

Ms Dowling, 52, left selective North Sydney Girls High School at the beginning of year 11 but, after three years working in odd jobs, completed her HSC at TAFE before enrolling in law at the University of Sydney.

She joined the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in 2001, becoming a deputy senior crown prosecutor and head of the appeals unit in 2016.

Ms Dowling was the senior counsel assisting NSW’s special commission of inquiry into the drug crystal methamphetamine (also known as ice) in 2019. She returned to the private bar last year. In advice that likely will be welcomed by the current crop of HSC students in lockdown, she previously said there were “many second chances” in life and people should not feel the die was cast by what they had achieved by the time they were 15, 16 or 17.

Ms Dowling told The Australian she was confident current year 12 students would not be disadvantaged in the long term. “My personal experience shows how resilient young people are and how well they can bounce back from setbacks,” she said.

Mr Babb kept a low profile and was criticised for his reluctance to explain the DPP’s decisions to the media. His approach was markedly different from his outspoken predecessor, Nick Cowdery QC, who clashed publicly with the then Labor government over funding and policy.

Ms Dowling said an informed public was an “essential part of a transparent, fair and equitable justice system”.

“The disclosure of reasons for prosecutorial decisions is consistent with the open and accountable operation of the Office of the DPP,” she said.

NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman said Ms Dowling had more than 25 years’ experience and was well placed to continue Mr Babb’s work.

“Ms Dowling has a distinguished background in criminal law and has shown outstanding leadership and legal skills while arguing cases both as a prosecutor and as defence counsel,” he said.

Ms Dowling was admitted to the legal profession in 1995 and became an associate to former Federal Court judge Graham Hill. She worked briefly at a commercial law firm before becoming a barrister and was made a silk in 2013. She said she returned to her studies to pursue a career in law because she had “always wanted to make a difference in the community”.