Jun 4, 2026 – 9.00amNSW’s embattled top prosecutor Sally Dowling has promoted a lawyer into a senior advocate role despite a court finding he improperly coached a sexual assault complainant on what evidence to give at trial.The lawyer, named Thomas Buckingham, was promoted last week and will serve as an acting Crown prosecutor – a type of barrister who appears in important criminal cases – even though Dowling’s own legal team conceded he helped a complainant fill in gaps in her evidence while preparing for a 2021 trial.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles