Brisbane barrister Scott McLeod KC has been appointed as the state’s newest Supreme Court Justice and will also take on role of Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal President later this year
Mr McLeod will be sworn in on 13 April and is set to become QCAT President at the end of Justice Kerri Mellifont’s term on 31 July this year.
The announcement follows the government’s $2.4 million investment to fund two additional Judges and support staff for the Supreme and District Courts, to boost the capacity of the justice system.
Mr McLeod brings more than 30 years’ experience to the bench, with a wide-ranging private practice as a leading barrister, combining public and commercial law.
He studied at the University of Queensland (UQ) and the University of Cambridge, where he earned both a Master of Laws (Hons) and a Master of Philosophy (International Relations). He also obtained a secondary Master of Laws degree from UQ in 1998.
Mr McLeod began his legal career practising in Queensland’s Crown Law office after serving as associate to two former Supreme Court Judges, Justices McPherson and Dowsett.
In 1992, he was called to the Bar before being appointed as King’s Counsel in Queensland in 2018.
Mr McLeod has advocated for clients in a broad range of matters in Queensland and Commonwealth courts.
Since 2018, he has chaired the Bar Association of Queensland’s Administrative Law Committee. He has also been retained as Counsel in Royal Commissions and Commissions of Inquiry.
He is known for his expertise in public and administrative law, and specialises in judicial and merits reviews, statutory interpretation, and government and regulatory matters, with his practice advising on building and construction disputes, the validity of commercial transactions, insurance, leases and property.
Attorney-General Deb Frecklington welcomed Mr McLeod’s appointment to the Supreme Court.
“Mr McLeod is a highly skilled and well-respected advocate whose extensive expertise in public, administrative, commercial and industrial law will make him a valuable addition to the court,” the Attorney-General said.
“The appointment of an additional Judge to the Supreme Court’s complement, along with the extra District Court Judge already sitting on the bench, is boosting the capacity of our courts and delivering on our commitment of faster access to justice for victims of crime.”
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