Bell Criminal Lawyers

05/07/2025

At Bell Criminal Lawyers, our solicitors are proud to support ongoing legal education and advocacy in the criminal justice system.

Senior Associate and Accredited Specialist - Criminal Law, Adam Moschella, recently delivered two presentations in one week—both highlighting his expertise in complex sentencing and parole matters, and his commitment to improving justice outcomes through collaboration and education.

First, Adam co-presented “Dangerous Prisoners: Evidence, Human Rights and Other Emerging Issues” with Carl Tessmann at the Prisoners’ Legal Service CPD "Human Rights and the Criminal Justice System". The session explored legal and human rights considerations in matters under the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act, and reflected Adam’s considerable experience assisting prisoners—particularly in parole matters, including under the No Body, No Parole scheme.

Later that week, Adam presented to a group of our colleagues from DGM Psychology, focusing on what the Courts want to see in pre-sentence psychological and psychiatric reports. The session summarised key case law and recent developments, aimed at helping clinicians better support clients facing sentence proceedings.

Adam’s work and past experience—both in practice and in policy, and through pro bono partnerships with PLS, Caxton Legal Centre and the LGBTI Legal Service—continues to demonstrate his belief in access to justice and in strengthening the criminal justice system from all angles.

We're proud to have him on the team and grateful to both Prisoners’ Legal Service and DGM Psychology for the opportunity to contribute to these important conversations.

03/07/2025

🏆 Welcome to Bell Criminal Lawyers, Corbin Wood - Law Clerk. 🏆

Originally from the mining town of Moranbah, Corbin brings with him not just a strong academic track record—graduating Dux of his high school in 2024, and now studying Law and Commerce at UQ—but the kind of grounded, people-focused experience you can only get from four years behind the bar at the Moranbah Community Workers Club!

Equally adept at pouring pints and parsing case law, Corbin has a calm head under pressure, a sharp analytical mind, and a thoughtful approach to every task. He’s already proving to be a valuable support to our team across legal research and case preparation, applying a dose of good humour to every task.

We’re thrilled to have Corbin on board and can’t wait to see where his journey in criminal law takes him.

Welcome, Corbin!

02/07/2025

🔔 Introducing, Sihanie Bell – Practice Manager at Bell Criminal Lawyers 🔔

The appointment of Sihanie Bell as our new Practice Manager at Bell Criminal Lawyers marks an important and exciting milestone for our firm.

With a background in large-scale event coordination and business administration, and a Bachelor of Business (Event Management) from Griffith University, Sihanie brings a wealth of experience in operations, management and strategic oversight. Her unique skill set is already helping us take the firm’s management practices and internal systems to a whole new level.

Sihanie’s passion for streamlining workflows, supporting team wellbeing and improving the client experience means our lawyers are better equipped than ever to focus on what matters most — delivering exceptional representation and support to our clients.

We’re truly excited for what’s ahead with Sihanie on board, and grateful to have such a capable and thoughtful leader steering the operational side of the firm.

Welcome to the team, Sihanie!

02/07/2025

We’re very excited to welcome Eleanor Meany to the team as an Associate at Bell Criminal Lawyers.

From the moment we met Eleanor, it was clear she was someone special —sharp, hardworking, and committed to the people she represents.

Since her admission in 2020, Eleanor has worked exclusively in criminal defence, appearing daily in courts across Queensland and handling everything from summary matters to complex drug and homicide cases.

What sets Eleanor apart isn’t just her courtroom skill, but her resolute focus on client care. She brings a calm, confident presence to every matter, ensuring her clients feel supported and empowered throughout the process— all qualities we value at Bell Criminal Lawyers.

Eleanor's expertise covers:

- Criminal Law

- Domestic Violence

- Traffic Offences

- Investigative Hearings

- Coronial Inquests

We’re lucky to have her, and we know our clients will be too.

Welcome, Eleanor—we’re so glad you’re here!

29/06/2025

Tomorrow marks the three year anniversary of the opening of Bell Criminal Lawyers.

Over the last three years, our team has worked tirelessly for our clients. We have:

⭐ Celebrated the highs and lows of courtroom advocacy together.

⭐ Seen three of our team members achieve the highest recognition of their ability, earning their Specialist Accreditation in Criminal Law.

⭐ Contributed to the development of the criminal law in Queensland, volunteering to contribute to the valuable work of Queensland Law Society's various committees.

⭐ Shared precious life-milestones outside of the law.

To say that I am proud of how far we have come would be an enormous understatement!

The success of our firm is entirely the sum of the people in it; our passionate, hardworking and brilliant solicitors and support staff who all genuinely love what they do and treat the incredibly privileged position we hold as criminal defence lawyers with the respect it deserves.

I am so grateful to all of our wonderful team at Bell Criminal Lawyers, and to our colleagues and friends on both sides of the bar table for all of their support, mentoring and encouragement over the last three years. I can't wait to see where we end up after three more!

14/06/2025

Congratulations Kristy Bell – Preeminent Criminal Defence Lawyer in QLD 2025

We are incredibly proud to share that our Director, Kristy Bell, has been recognised as a Preeminent Criminal Defence Lawyer in Queensland in the 2025 Doyle's Guide – the highest honour in this category.

This recognition is particularly meaningful as it is peer-nominated, reflecting the reputation Kristy has earned from fellow members of the legal profession across the state.

Kristy’s unwavering commitment to justice and fierce advocacy for clients are evidence of the value she ascribes to her client’s right to a strong criminal defence.

Congratulations, Kristy – this is a well-deserved recognition of your expertise and dedication.

13/06/2025

Congratulations Emma Kearney – Rising Star & Promotion to Senior Associate

We’re thrilled to share a double celebration at Bell Criminal Lawyers!

Our talented team member Emma Kearney has been recognised as a Rising Star in Criminal Law in the 2025 Doyle’s Guide – a prestigious, peer-reviewed acknowledgment of the next generation of leading criminal lawyers in Queensland.

We are equally proud to announce Emma’s promotion to Senior Associate. After recently becoming the youngest ever person to achieve Specialist Accreditation in Criminal Law, Emma’s promotion is a reflection of her hard work, outstanding legal skill, dedication to client advocacy, and unwavering commitment to upholding the values of our firm.

Emma is a passionate and fearless advocate, and this recognition is so well-deserved. We can’t wait to see what she continues to achieve in her next chapter.

Please join us in congratulating Emma on this incredible milestone!

14/05/2025

Our Adam Moschella was fortunate to be invited to speak as a panellist at this year’s Cooper Foote Law Society Event hosted by Kings College at the The University of Queensland.

Adam was part of an esteemed panel, including the Honourable Justice Sean Cooper, Mel Storey and Chris Erfurt, skilfully chaired by Andrew O'Brien. The panel spoke to law students at Kings College about their career pathways, some key takeaways and the advice they wished they’d had as a law student.

A wonderful event and we look forward to seeing you next year!

12/05/2025

Last week, our Director Kristy Bell and Director of Operations Sihanie Bell had the pleasure of attending the Law Biz Conference at the QT on the Gold Coast.

Tailored specifically for law firm owners, the conference focused on the evolving landscape of legal practice. Covering everything from the latest advances in legal tech to strategies for firm management, the content was both practical and thought-provoking.

Law Biz was a great opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals from across the country. We’re excited to incorporate some fresh ideas into our practice.

07/05/2025

Our Director Kristy Bell was one of three appointments to the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council this week.

The Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council consists of up to 14 independent members, and provides independent research and advice, seeks public views and promotes community understanding of sentencing matters.

Congratulations to all three new appointees!

Each of the three new members has been appointed for a three-year term, which has now started.

01/05/2025

A week of contrasts for our Director this week!

Kristy Bell appeared in her capacity as Chair of the the Queensland Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee alongside Children’s Law Committee Chair, Damian Bartholomew at the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee Hearing on Monday for the Making Queensland Safer (Adult Crime, Adult Time) Amendment Bill 2025, and on Wednesday for the Police Powers and Responsibilities (Making Jack’s Law Permanent) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025.

Today, Kristy was very fortunate to attend the Kailo Wellness Summit as a guest of our friends and colleagues Kimberley and Ruby from Shand Taylor Lawyers. Never a dull moment!