Rachael Taylor

Contact

Areas of Practice

Rachael has a diverse public and criminal law practice, appearing in courts and tribunals throughout Queensland and around Australia. She is available to be briefed for advice or appearance work in the following areas:

  • Criminal Law
  • Appellate 
  • Regulatory / Professional Discipline
  • Public / Administrative Law
  • Human Rights / Discrimination
  • Environment Law
  • Industrial / Work, Health & Safety
  • Inquests
  • Commissions of Inquiry / Statutory Tribunals
Rachael Taylor

Professional History

Rachael is a member of Legal Aid Queensland’s Complex Criminal case panel. In addition to acting in serious criminal matters for defendants, Rachael is regularly briefed to prosecute, including on behalf of the State and Commonwealth DPP, regulatory agencies and government departments. She has particular experience in complex Commonwealth prosecutions, including terrorism, espionage and money laundering matters.

Rachael appears for and against regulators in statutory prosecutions, disciplinary proceedings, judicial and merits review, and WH&S matters. She is experienced in conducting inquests, including by appearing on behalf of public interest interveners.

In 2020-21 Rachael was junior counsel for Resources Safety & Health Queensland in the Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry. 

Before coming to the Bar, Rachael worked as a solicitor in Australia and the UK for almost a decade. This included working as a solicitor advocate in a criminal defence firm, and for local government prosecuting individual and corporate defendants for regulatory, health and safety, and planning and environment offences.

In 2010, Rachael was the Associate to his Honour Judge Irwin of the District Court of Queensland.

Rachael is a member of the Bar Association of Queensland’s Professional Ethics Committee and Access to Justice Committee. 

Qualifications and Admissions

  • Admitted as a Legal Practitioner, Supreme Court of Queensland (2010)
  • Admitted as a Barrister, Supreme Court of Queensland and High Court of Australia (2019)
  • BA / LLB (Honours), Griffith University – Awarded the University Medal (2009)
  • Master of Laws (Distinction), London School of Economics (2016)

Professional Memberships

  • Queensland Bar Association
  • Human Rights Law Association
  • International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law
  • Women Lawyers Association of Queensland

Selected Cases

Save the Children Australia v Minister for Home Affairs [2024] FCAFC 81 (led by P Morrissey SC and E Nekvapil SC, with J Hartley, N Petrie and K Brown)

Inquest into the death of Shane Uittenbosch (2023, decision reserved)

Arulogun v Legal Services Commissioner [2023] QDC 207

R v Jones [2023] QCA 212

Save the Children Australia v Minister for Home Affairs [2023] FCA 1343 (led by P Morrissey SC and E Nekvapil SC, with N Petrie and K Brown)

Legal Services Commissioner v JXL [2023] QSC 283 (led by SA McLeod KC, with CM Doyle)

Legal Services Commissioner v Magill [2023] QCAT 134

R v Lawrence [2023] NSWSC 1428 (led by J Hannebery KC)

Michalakellis v LMM Holdings Pty Ltd & Ors (No. 4) [2023] QIRC 248

R v J Lucas [2022] NSWSC 1206

R v J Lucas; R v B Lucas [2022] NSWSC (terrorism trial; multiple decisions) (led by C O’Donnell SC)

R v JAH [2022] QCA 172

R v East [2021] QCA 54 (led by SC Holt KC)

R v Soong [2021] QCA 53 (led by SC Holt KC)

R v KAY [2021] QCA 5 (led by EP Mac Giolla Ri)

Hickey v State of Queensland (Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors) (Disability Accommodation and Respite and Forensic Disability Service) [2020] ICQ 22

Mija Pty Ltd & Ors v Gravener [2020] FCCA 681

R v Hyde [2020] QCA 196 (led by EP Mac Giolla Ri)

R v FAV [2019] QCA 299 (led by EP Mac Giolla Ri)

R v IG [2019] QCA 208 (led by RM O’Gorman)

Sophocleous & Ors v The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs & another [2018] EWCA Civ 2167 (instructing solicitor, with Martin Chamberlain QC and James Purnell)