Scott
McLeod KC

Called to the Bar in 1992
King’s Counsel since 2018

Contact

Level 16 Quay Central
T | 07 3360 3339
E | [email protected]

Scott
McLeod KC

Called to the Bar in 1992
King’s Counsel since 2018

Areas of Expertise

Appellate
Employment and Industrial
Human Rights and Discrimination
Inquiries and Coronial Inquests
Judicial Review and Administrative
Land Law and Property
Planning and Environment
Professional Discipline and Regulatory
Resources and Energy
Sport

Overview

Scott has a practice which combines both public and commercial law.

His public law practice, which is predominantly judicial and merits review, spans a broad range of areas including human rights, education, freedom of information, immigration, prisons law, police discipline, planning and environment, mining, and local government law. He has extensive court and tribunal experience, advising or acting in proceedings for and against Commonwealth and State Agencies, in the Federal and Supreme Courts, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal and both the High Court and Court of Appeal of the Solomon Islands.

Scott’s expertise extends to regulatory cases which overlap his public law practice, such as professional disciplinary matters, regulatory offences and prosecutions, and disputes that arise in sporting contexts. He also has significant experience in coronial law, regularly acting in inquests, judicial reviews and civil claims for State Agencies, companies, bereaved families and individuals in a wide variety of circumstances, including deaths in police and prison custody, and following mining accidents.

He also advises and appears in complex mining lease objections, including administrative reviews of mining lease decisions and appearances in the Land Court on cases concerning the grant or renewal of mining leases and applications for compensation.

In addition, Scott appears in the Industrial Court and the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission in respect to statutory workers’ compensation appeals.

Career

Legal Officer, Crown Law, Queensland (1993-1997)
Part-time tutor in Evidence and lecturer in Civil Procedure, Griffith University (1994-1995)
Barrister at Law, admitted (1992)
Associate to Mr Justice McPherson CBE, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Queensland (1992)
Associate to Mr Justice Dowsett, Supreme Court of Queensland (1991)

Education

Master of Laws, University of Queensland (1998)
Master of Laws (Hons), University of Cambridge – Awarded – British Chevening Bursary (1996)
Master of Philosophy (International Relations), University of Cambridge (1993)
Bachelor of Laws, University of Queensland (1991)
Bachelor of Arts, University of Queensland (1989)

Recommendations

Australian Financial Review Best Lawyers®

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Constitutional Law, Public Law and recognised as the ‘Best Lawyer’ in Public Law in Brisbane (2026)
Alternative Dispute Resolution, Constitutional Law and Public Law (2025)
Recognised as the ‘Best Lawyer’ in Public Law in Brisbane (2024)
Alternative Dispute Resolution and Public Law (2022-24)
Recognised as the ‘Best Lawyer’ in Public Law in Queensland (2021)
Public Law (2020)

Doyle’s Guide to Legal Profession

Leading Administrative & Public Barrister (Queensland) (2023-24)
Leading Administrative & Public Barrister (Australia) (2021-22)

Recent cases

Dwyer v Workers’ Compensation Regulator [2025] QIRC 119.
Endresz and others v Queensland Racing Integrity Commission and another [2025] QSC 93.
Dawson v State of Queensland (Department of the Premier and Cabinet) [2025] QIRC 109.
Romanski v Stone [2025] ICQ 005.
Dawson v State of Queensland [2025] QSC 3.

Publications

‘Implications – construction of the term “likely” in the EPBC Act’, dated 29 April 2021, Scott McLeod KC and Angus O’Brien – Judicial Review & Administrative.

‘The Art of Decision Writing: A Practical Introduction to Administrative Decision Writing Under the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act’, dated 14 November 2019, Scott McLeod KC – Employment & Industrial.