His Honour has dedicated his career to public service and legal leadership, with more than 30 years’ experience—mainly in criminal law—covering both defence and prosecutions.

Justice Babb attained his law degree from Macquarie University in 1989 and completed a master’s degree at the University of Illinois in 1991. His Honour worked as a solicitor, including at the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, before commencing at the NSW Bar in 1995.  Justice Babb was appointed Senior Counsel in 2007 and was widely recognised as one of Australia’s top criminal silks.

His Honour was the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions for a decade from 2011 to 2021, and NSW’s Crown Advocate from 2007 to 2011, a statutory officer appointed under the Crown Advocate Act 1979 (NSW), to advise the Attorney General on criminal law, conduct proceedings on behalf of the Crown, and assist the Solicitor General.

Most recently, Justice Babb was the Northern Territory’s Director of Public Prosecutions for three and a half years, finishing the role in September 2025. His Honour has conducted numerous criminal trials across the full range of offences, and for a considerable period mainly focused on complex homicide matters.  His considerable appellate experience involves appearing in several significant cases before the High Court of Australia.