Lesley Taylor

The Crown appealed that sentence, arguing it was manifestly inadequate.

On Friday morning, Justices Stephen McLeish, Lesley Taylor and Peter Kidd ruled the sentence imposed by Beale was unreasonable because it didn't reflect what they called the extraordinarily cold and calculated nature of Paterson's offending.

Here are the actual words spoken in court by Justice Stephen McLeish.

The offending was

In this episode, 30th anniversary of VWL, three decades of change.

Episode hosts Julia Isto is joined by the Honourable Justice Lesley Taylor of the Court of Appeal, Follies List Barrister Amanda Carruthers, and VWL's first president, Deanne Weir, to explore what has changed since VWL was founded, what it took to get here, and what still requires grit today.

Welcome to Grit, 30 years, three conversations, a podcast presented by Victorian Women Lawyers in conjunction with Four Leagues List, marking VWL's 30th anniversary in 2026.

Across this three-part series, we speak with lawyers, barristers, and members of the judiciary about the grit that has shaped and continues to shape careers in the law.

My name is Julia Risto, and I'm a member of the Victorian Women Lawyers Voting Executive Committee.

And in this first episode, I'm joined by the Honourable Justice Lesley Taylor of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Follies List Barrister, Amanda Carotas, and VWL's First President, Deanne Weir.

Between them, they spanned the three decades since the Victorian Women Lawyers was founded, what has changed, what it took to get here, and what still requires grit today.

We talk to the decisions that shaped their careers, what has changed in the profession across those 30 years, and what the next decade should hold for the women coming through behind them.