Dr Michael Taylor is a Barrister practising in public law, with specialist expertise in health law and therapeutic goods regulation. Dr Taylor’s broader areas of interest in public and administrative law include use of executive powers, public sector integrity, statutory interpretation and legislative drafting. Dr Taylor is also available to advise on (or act as junior counsel in) matters involving complex pharmaceutical/health-related issues and/or evidence.

Dr Taylor welcomes both appearance and paperwork briefs, and also accepts direct access briefs from government and commercial clients.

Public and administrative law

In addition to merits and judicial review, Dr Taylor’s practice in public and administrative law includes experience in:

• statutory interpretation issues
• conducting investigations into allegations of improper conduct by public servants, health practitioners or university academics (or advice on risk of such conduct)
• assisting the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) with investigation of improper influence in government
• advising on public sector integrity issues and related matters, including misfeasance in public office

Dr Taylor was recognised in Doyle’s Guide for Leading Administrative & Public Law Barristers – Victoria in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Health, disability and therapeutic goods law

Dr Taylor’s expertise is built on dual qualification as a legal practitioner (Barrister) and health practitioner (Pharmacist). In addition to his undergraduate (LLB(Hons)) and postgraduate (GDLP) qualifications in law, Dr Taylor also holds degrees in pharmacy (BPharm(Hons)) and biotechnology (MSc), as well as a doctorate (PhD) from the School of Philosophy and Bioethics, Monash University. Dr Taylor previously worked as an academic specialising in health policy and regulation and public health law.

Specific areas of expertise include:

• Pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other therapeutic goods regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), including advertising and other enforcement issues (e.g., civil penalties, infringement notices)
• Regulation of specific categories of pharmaceutical products: medicinal cannabis, psilocybin and MDMA, ketamine, vaccines, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists
• Disability supports under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth) acting for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
• Health practitioner regulation under the National Law scheme administered by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
• Health protection law (e.g., public health, biosecurity) and regulation of health sytems and services, including administrative requirements for service provision (e.g. Medicare)

Previous professional experience

Before coming to the Bar, Dr Taylor was Senior Regulatory Policy Adviser in the Health Protection Branch of the Department of Health & Human Services. Dr Taylor provided advice regarding public health legislation to the Chief Health Officer and Health Protection Branch, particularly around the Sunset Review of the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 and the development of replacement regulations, the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019.

Previously, Dr Taylor was an academic in health systems and health law and policy, with research published numerous Australian and international peer-reviewed journals, including the Medical Journal of Australia, Australian Health Review, Health Research Policy & Systems, the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology and the Journal of Rheumatology.