Michael Lucey

Michael is a leading public law specialist with deep expertise in complex public law matters and regulatory prosecutions.

He is a trusted adviser to Queensland, Commonwealth, and local government agencies on issues central to public administration, including judicial review, statutory interpretation, governance, human rights, and integrity.

Michael has acted in hundreds of matters spanning occupational discipline, health, education, transport, and professional regulation, and has appeared regularly before tribunals as well as the State, Federal and High Courts.

He has been ranked consistently in Doyles Guide, and more recently the Legal 500 Asia Pacific, for his expertise in administrative and public law.

Prior to joining Crown Law, Michael worked in private sector where he had a core focus on government and regulatory practice. His decade with Clayton Utz’s national Public Sector Practice Group, including secondments with Racing Queensland and the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, further strengthened his understanding of the Queensland public sector and the unique responsibilities and challenges of government work.

Michael brings not only technical excellence but also a proven record of leadership to his role as Deputy Crown Solicitor. He has successfully overseen and managed high performing legal teams, and is known for his strategic insight, commercial acumen, and ability to guide teams through complex and high-profile matters.

Michael’s experience includes:

• undertaking highly sensitive investigations for various Queensland Government Owned Corporations and entities into a range of matters, including governance and probity
• acting in the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, and in the Hon Virginia Bell AC’s inquiry into the appointment of the former prime minister to administer multiple departments
• coordinating the Queensland racing regulator’s response to the Queensland Greyhound Racing Industry Commission of Inquiry
• assisting Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services in its response to matters arising from the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA Testing in Queensland
• advising the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board on accreditation issues of Non-State Schools under the legislative regime and subsequent regulatory action
• advising the Brisbane Organising Committee for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games of various matters arising from the ‘100 day’ review
• acting for the Office of the Health Ombudsman in regulatory investigations and prosecution proceedings bought before the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), and appeals up to and including the Court of Appeal
• advising the Gladstone Area Water Board in a variety of matters including land access arrangements and policy and governance reviews
• acting for the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority in land acquisition and compensation processes and litigation
• acting for the State of Queensland in judicial review proceedings relating to access to the Galilee Basin mining tenements
• acting for the Department of Education in both criminal prosecutions and regulatory proceedings and reviews of decisions before QCAT
• acting for Racing Queensland and the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission in various matters including stewards’ prosecutions and subsequent appeals, and around commercial agreements, land access arrangements, and liability issues
• acting for various core Commonwealth departments, including Migration, Services Australia and others, in high-volume proceedings at first instance and upon appeal
• acting for and advising the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator across its spectrum of matters, from novel interpretative issues to criminal prosecutions and appeals
• advising various universities in respect of a range of matters including academic misconduct prosecutions, discrimination claims and information privacy/right to information challenges.