Nicola Gobbo: Lawyer X Informer 3838 and 2025 Court Ruling

The name Nicola Gobbo doesn’t ring a bell for most Australians, but in Victoria’s legal circles it triggers a mix of fascination and unease. She was the criminal barrister who secretly worked as a police informant while defending some of Melbourne’s most dangerous gangland figures, leading to the 2025 court ruling on police accountability.

Born: 16 November 1972 ·
Nationality: Australian ·
Former profession: Criminal defence barrister ·
Known as: Lawyer X, Informer 3838 ·
Key case year: 2025 compensation claim dismissed

The following table summarizes key details about Nicola Gobbo.

What is Nicola Gobbo’s nationality?

She is Australian, born on 16 November 1972. Her full name is Nicola Maree Gobbo, and she worked as a criminal defence barrister in Melbourne before her role as a police informant was exposed. (Royal Commission into Management of Police Informants)

Where was Nicola Gobbo born?

• Australia, though the specific town is not widely reported in public documents.

The implication: her nationality has never been in dispute — she is an Australian citizen who operated entirely within Victoria’s legal system.

Who was involved in Informer 3838?

Nicola Gobbo was registered as Victoria Police human source number 3838, also known as Lawyer X and Informer 3838. The Royal Commission record states she was also referred to as EF, Witness F, and human source registration numbers 3838 and 2958. (Royal Commission into Management of Police Informants) She provided information on organised crime figures including Tony Mokbel and other Melbourne underworld figures. Victoria Police’s Special Operations unit handled her as a source.

What was Nicola Gobbo’s role as Informer 3838?

• She acted as a human source for Victoria Police while continuing to represent criminal clients — a direct conflict of interest.
• The Royal Commission found that convictions or findings of guilt of 1,011 people may have been affected by her work as an informant. (Taylor & Francis on the Lawyer X scandal)

Which police unit handled Informer 3838?

• Victoria Police’s source management unit, which the Royal Commission later criticised for failing to recognise the ethical breach of using a barrister as an informant.

The pattern: the scale of affected cases is staggering — over a thousand convictions potentially tainted by one person’s double life within the justice system.

What is Informer 3838 about?

Informer 3838 is a documentary series that examines Nicola Gobbo’s double life as a criminal barrister and police informant. It details how she built relationships with gangland clients while feeding intelligence to Victoria Police between 2005 and 2009. The series is available on Apple TV+ and covers events leading up to the Royal Commission.

Is Informer 3838 a documentary?

• Yes, it’s a multi-part documentary series that investigates the scandal and its legal fallout.

What key events does Informer 3838 cover?

• The series follows the timeline from Gobbo’s recruitment as an informant in 2005 through the 2020 Royal Commission report and the 2022 court ruling that found police misconduct. (Taylor & Francis on the Lawyer X scandal)

The scandal’s impact continues to unfold through legal reforms and ongoing litigation.

Who is the most expensive barrister in Australia?

Nicola Gobbo was reportedly one of the highest-paid criminal barristers in Melbourne during her career before the scandal broke. Other top earners include Allan Myers QC and Bret Walker SC, both of whom command millions in fees for complex litigation. (AAP News)

How does Nicola Gobbo’s fees compare?

• Her income as a barrister was substantial before the informant scandal, though exact figures are not publicly documented.
• Compared to Allan Myers QC, who reportedly charges up to $15,000 per day, Gobbo’s fees were in the same elite bracket.

Which barristers charge the highest rates in Australia?

• Allan Myers QC and Bret Walker SC are among the highest-charging barristers nationally.
• Gobbo’s rates placed her among the top criminal barristers in Victoria before her exposure.

The catch: Gobbo’s fee history is now overshadowed by the legal costs she faces, including the dismissal of her compensation claim in 2025.

What is Nicola Gobbo’s net worth?

Exact net worth is not publicly documented. Her income as a barrister was substantial before the informant scandal, but legal fees, relocation costs from living in hiding, and the 2025 court ruling have likely eroded any remaining wealth. ABC News reported on 1 October 2024 that Gobbo was seeking compensation for ongoing physical and mental health injuries, and said she had lived across more than a dozen locations in six years while in hiding. (ABC News)

How did Nicola Gobbo earn her wealth?

• Through her practice as a criminal defence barrister handling high-profile gangland cases in Melbourne.

What assets does Nicola Gobbo have?

• Not publicly known. The 2024 civil trial did not detail specific assets.

Her financial situation remains opaque, but the legal costs have been significant.

Timeline of key events

1. 1972 — Nicola Gobbo born on 16 November. (ABC News)
2. 2005 — Began working as police informant 3838. (Royal Commission)
3. 2009 — Informant role ends; later revealed publicly. (Taylor & Francis)
4. 5 November 2018 — High Court lifts suppression orders protecting Gobbo’s identity. (Taylor & Francis)
5. 2020 — Royal Commission into the informant scandal releases report. (Royal Commission)
6. 2022 — Victorian Court of Appeal finds police misconduct. (Taylor & Francis)
7. 2024 — Victorian Parliament considers State Civil Liability (Police Informants) Bill 2024. (Parliament of Victoria)
8. 13 June 2025 — Compensation claim dismissed by Justice Melinda Richards. (AAP News)

The pattern: each milestone reveals a deeper institutional failure — first the informant program, then the cover-up, now legislative action to block compensation.

Confirmed facts vs. what remains unclear

The legislative response effectively closes the door on further civil claims.

Key quotes from the case

“I find that Ms Gobbo was not induced to become a police informer. She was a willing recruit.”

— Justice Melinda Richards, Supreme Court of Victoria, dismissing Gobbo’s compensation claim on 13 June 2025 (AAP News)

“The Royal Commission concluded that the convictions or findings of guilt of 1,011 people may have been affected by Ms Gobbo’s activities.”

— Royal Commission into Management of Police Informants, 2020 report (Royal Commission)

“Gobbo’s legal team argued that the State of Victoria owed her a duty of care for the psychological harm she suffered after being ‘cast aside’ by police.”

— ABC News report on the 2024 civil trial (ABC News)

The legal system’s contradictory rulings highlight the complexity of the case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related reading

• Andrew Veniamin: The True Story of Underbelly’s Benji — direct connection to the same Melbourne gangland war era that made Gobbo a central figure.
• Alan Jones: Talkback Host, Net Worth, Never Married, 27 Charges — Australian public figure facing legal charges, touching on themes of high-profile Australian legal cases and public controversy.

The outcome of Gobbo’s case sends a clear message to both police and informants in Australia: the courts will not reward those who willingly participate in the system they later blame. For Victoria Police, the lesson is that using a barrister as a source was never just an ethical lapse — it was a structural failure that tainted over a thousand convictions. For other informants considering similar legal action, the path is now blocked by the 2024 state legislation. Victoria Police must reform the informant system or accept that legal consequences will keep surfacing for years to come.