Madeleine Bridgett is a human rights, public law and commercial law barrister with a special interest in international law, coronial inquests, royal commissions and inquiries, complex criminal matters, employment law, equity and trusts, and family and children’s law.

Madeleine is also a qualified arbitrator and mediator. She is trained in trauma-informed practice and comes to law as a second career, bringing with her significant experience having worked in the health and social care sectors for over fifteen years as a clinical social worker, specialising in mental health, drug and alcohol, sexual health, adolescent health, child protection, domestic and family violence, and sexual assault.

In 2024 Madeleine was appointed as Part-time Lawyer Member for the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal, and in 2021 she was appointed as Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

Madeleine was initially called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2011. Following her admission, she spent a year working in Nigeria for the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales where she fearlessly advocated for the rights of children whilst actively promoting the rule of law. Madeleine then travelled to Strasbourg to work for the European Court of Human Rights having been awarded the Peter Duffy Human Rights Scholarship in 2010 by The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn.

Madeleine is a strong advocate for human rights, equality and justice, and undertakes regular work in public and private international law.

Read about her human rights work here.

Employment Law – Racial Discrimination – Roy Fortunato v Western Sydney Local Health District (2026)

Employment Law – Adverse Action – Belinda Short v Evacuation Services Australia Pty Ltd (2026)

Administrative Law – Habeas Corpus – GKX18 v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (No 5) [2026] FedCFamC2G 204

Employment Law – Adverse Action – Mahamendige Senaka Sarath Mendis v The Disability Trust (2025)

Family Law – Forum Dispute – Parenting and Property – Kramer & Rupert [2025] FedCFamC2F 1336

Family Law – Property – Hamdan & Alzahrani (No 2) [2025] FedCFamC1F 650

Administrative Law – Habeas Corpus: GKX18 v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (No 4) [2025] FedCFamC2G 1051

Administrative Law – Habeas Corpus: GKX18 v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (No 3) [2025] FedCFamC2G 1022

Administrative Law – Habeas Corpus: GKX18 v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (No 2) [2025] FedCFamC2G 718

Administrative Law – Habeas Corpus: GKX18 v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs [2025] FedCFamC2G 307

Administrative Law – Habeas Corpus: GMZ18 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs [2024] FedFamC2G 335

Administrative Law – Migration – War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity: GZCK v Minister for Home Affairs [2021] FCA 1618

Administrative and Constitutional Law and Human Rights – Discrimination Law: Wilson v Britten-Jones (No.2) [2020] FCA 1290

Equity – Succession: Bowers v Bowers – [2020] NSWSC 109

Equity – Costs: Ratkovic v Hadzic [2019] NSWSC 1627

Equity – Succession: The Estate of Colleen McCullough – [2018] NSWSC 1126

Equity – Commercial: Carmelo Adriano Mastronardo v Commonwealth Bank of Australia trading as BankWest – [2017] NSWSC 1052

NCAT – Retail Leases: Heard McEwan Pty Ltd v G Zanetti Pty Ltd – [2017] NSWCATAP 213

Hague Convention International Child Abduction: Arthur & Secretary, Department of Family & Community Services And Anor – [2017] FamCAFC 111

SELECTED INQUIRIES AND INQUESTS

Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide – 2021 – 2024

Coronial Inquest: Inquest into the death Samih Zraika – August 2021

Coronial Inquest: Inquest into the death of Melissa Standen – September 2018

Coronial Inquest: Inquest into the death of Anthony Cawsey – December 2017

Coronial Inquest: Inquest into the death of Heidi Cox – April 2017