Miss Jemma Holt
Higher Degree by Research Candidate
School of Law
College of Business and Law
Jemma Holt is a legal practitioner (2011-present) and PhD candidate at the Law School at the University of Adelaide (2024-present). Her research area is the use of pre-recorded evidence for 'vulnerable' witnesses in South Australia. She has worked as a Researcher for the South Australian Law Reform Institute (2020-present) and the Tasmania Law Reform Institute (2019-20 and 2022-24) and is an Adjunct Researcher within the Law School at the University of Tasmania. She was previously the Clinical Legal Education Supervisor for two of the free legal advice clinics based at the University of Adelaide Law School: the Adelaide Legal Outreach Service (ALOS) and the Equal Opportunity Legal Advice Service (EOLAS) (2021-2024). She has held sessional teaching roles with both the University of Adelaide and the University of Tasmania in Criminal Law, Evidence and Advocacy subjects. She has previously worked as a Prosecutor with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Adelaide (2013-2023). She has also worked at the Crown Solicitor's Office (2018), the Office of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (2020-1), and the Office for Public Integrity (2022). She has also worked as a Prosecutor with Tasmania Police (2019) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Hobart (2019-20).
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 - 2024 | Lead Researcher (Evaluation of the Role and Operation of Suppression Orders in South Australia) | South Australian Law Reform Institute, Law School, University of Adelaide |
| 2022 - 2024 | Research Fellow (Special Hearings Scheme Study) | Tasmania Law Reform Institute, Law School, University of Tasmania |
| 2022 - 2022 | Senior Legal Officer, Intake & Assessments Team | Office for Public Integrity |
| 2020 - 2021 | Senior Legal Officer, Legal Services | Office of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption |
| 2020 - 2020 | Prosecutor, Vulnerable Witness Team | Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, South Australia |
| 2019 - 2019 | Crown Counsel, Family Violence and Sexual Assault Team | Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Tasmania |
| 2019 - 2020 | Research Fellow (Jurors, Social Media & the Right of an Accused to a Fair Trial) | Acting Executive Officer (Research) | Tasmania Law reform Institute, Law Schooll, University of Adelaide |
| 2019 - 2019 | Prosecutor/ Legal Officer | Tasmania Police, Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management |
| 2017 - 2018 | Senior Solicitor/Prosecutor | Prosecution Group, Public Law Section, Crown Solicitor’s Office (SA) |
| 2015 - 2021 | Law Reporting (Australian Criminal Reports) | Thomson Reuters |
| 2013 - 2017 | Prosecutor | Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, South Australia |
| 2013 - 2013 | Judge’s Associate | District Court of South Australia |
| 2012 - 2013 | Associate to the Hon Justice Michael David | Supreme Court of South Australia |
| 2011 - 2012 | Magistrates’ Associate | Adelaide Magistrates Court |
| 2011 - 2011 | Law Clerk (PLT Placement) | Crown Solicitor’s Office, Attorney-General’s Department |
| 2011 - 2011 | Summer Clerkship | Fisher Jeffries Barristers and Solicitors |
| 2010 - 2010 | Volunteer Caseworker/ Advocate | Adelaide Magistrates Court Legal Advice Clinic |
| 2010 - 2011 | Volunteer Caseworker/ Advocate | Welfare Rights Centre SA |
| 2009 - 2010 | Volunteer Caseworker/Advocate/ Mediator | Southern Community Justice Centre |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 - 2011 | Flinders University | Australia | Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice |
| Date | Title | Institution name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Practising Certificate (Unrestricted - Category C) | Law Society of South Australia | - |
| 2011 | Admission to Practice as a Barrister and Solicitor | Supreme Court of South Australia | - |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Holt, J. (2025). A Novel and Progressive Use of Pre-recorded Evidence: An Evaluation of the Criminal Priority Programme in the District Court of South Australia. Journal of Judicial Administration, 34(No 2), 64-98. |
| 2025 | Holt, J. (2025). A Novel and Progressive Use of Pre-recorded Evidence: An Evaluation of the Criminal Priority Programme in the District Court of South Australia. JOURNAL OF JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION, 34(2), 64-98. |
| 2024 | Holt, J., & Plater, D. (2024). It's Not All About the Numbers: No Overhaul of Suppression Orders Needed. The Bulletin of the Law Society of South Australia. |
| 2023 | Holt, J., & Plater, D. (2023). Evaluation of the Role and Operation of Suppression Orders in South Australia: An independent review of suppression orders in SA seeks to achieve the right balance between open justice and protecting the rule of law. The Bulletin of the Law Society of South Australia, April. |
| 2022 | Plater, D., & Holt, J. (2022). Intervening in Elder Abuse: The Overlooked Role of Intervention Orders to Address Elder Abuse. Bulletin of the Law Society of South Australia, 44(8), 10-15. |
| 2020 | Holt, J. (2020). "Hey Judge, That's Just Facebook Stuff" - Social Media, Jurors and the Right of an Accused to a Fair Trial. The Bulletin of the Law Society of Tasmania, 41(8), 20. |
| 2020 | Holt, J. (2020). #Fairness Goals - jurors, social media and the right of an accused to a fair trial. Internet Law Bulletin, 9-10, 129. |
| 2020 | Holt, J. (2020). Updated and improved juror education recommended to address juror's use of social media and the internet. The Bulletin of the Law Society of South Australia, 42(1), 14. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Holt, J., & Henning, T. (2019). Jurors, Social Media & the Right of an Accused to a Fair Trial (Issues Paper 30). Tasmania Law Reform Institute. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Holt, J., & Gogarty, B. (2020). Juries need to the told how they're allowed to use the internet to ensure fair trials. The Conversation. |
Clinical Legal Education Supervisor
Adelaide Legal Outreach Service (ALOS) &
Equal Opportunity Legal Advice Service (EOLAS)
Law School, University of Adelaide
From January 2022 to January 2024 I was in the role of sole supervising solicitor for two of the legal advice clinics which operate at the University of Adelaide Law School. ALOS is a generalist free legal advice service and EOLAS is a specialist service which provides free legal advice under the framework of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA) in relation to discrimination, victimisation and sexual harassment. The clinics are operated by students enrolled in the final year law elective, Clinical Legal Education. The student legal advisors independently conducted client interviews and all associated case work, including drafting written advice and other documentation under my supervision.
I was responsible for supervising and settling all legal work, including providing students with professional guidance and mentoring. My role also involved management of client bookings, social media, facilities and email liaison with stakeholders.
Sessional Teaching roles (various)
Law School, University of Adelaide
Between 2017 and 2022, I held several sessional teaching roles at the Law School at the University of Adelaide, including: Seminar Leader in the undergraduate subject Criminal Law (2021 & 2022); Seminar Leader in the undergraduate subject Evidence and Advocacy (2021 & 2022); guest lecturing in Evidence & Advocacy (2021), Law Reform (2020), Evidence (2020), Selected Issues in Criminal Law (Masters) (2018) and Criminal Law (2018). I have also undertaken exam marking in the undergraduate subject of Criminal Law (2020).
Sessional Teaching roles (various)
Law School, University of Tasmania
Between 2018 and 2023, I held various sessional teaching roles within the Law School at the University of Tasmania, including: guest lecturing in Evidence (2019) and in the summer school intensive subject Advocacy (2018 & 2023).
I was also involved in supervising the student run legal service at UTAS, namely, assisting students with client interviews, client advice, file management and interaction with participating legal practitioners (2019).
Assessor, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP)
Law Society of South Australia
In March, May and September 2019 I assessed mock witness examination-in-chief, cross examination, opening and closing addresses, bail applications and guilty plea submissions for law graduates completing the GDLP component of their studies to become eligible for admission to practice. I was also involved in an Advocacy Coaching Clinic for students by way of preparation for the advocacy practical assessment.
