Renae Kirk

Renae was admitted to the profession in 2002 and has primarily worked as an employed barrister with government bodies in both Queensland and the United Kingdom for 14 years, before joining the private Bar in November 2022.

Immediately prior to her call to the private Bar, Renae held senior roles in an Appeals and Prosecutions team providing services to several Queensland government departments. Her practice focused on prosecuting resources safety and health matters, vegetation (land) and marine plant clearing, and fisheries offences. She also appeared in the District and Land Courts in appeals; and was the in-house lawyer with carriage of matters in the Coroner’s Court, Magistrates and Industrial Magistrates Courts, Industrial Court of Queensland, and Court of Appeal.

In 2020-2021 Renae was Special Counsel to the Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry.

Renae worked in England for 6 years, in the latter part of which she practised as a lawyer with the Department for Work and Pensions prosecuting complex and high value benefit fraud including frauds involving forged documents and stolen identities. In this capacity she had some exposure to proceeds of crime confiscation matters, from which her interest in this area arose.

Prior to leaving for England Renae was an employed barrister with Legal Aid Queensland, spending several years in the youth crime team before acting as In-house Counsel. During her time at Legal Aid Renae appeared in matters in the Supreme Court, District Court (including jury trials and appeals), Children’s Court of Queensland, Magistrates Court, and Children’s Court.