Dr Matt Collins AM KC
Dr Matthew Collins AM KC is available to appear and advise in all areas of commercial, media and information technology law. He practises in all Australian jurisdictions.
Matt holds a PhD in law from Melbourne University and is the author of Collins on Defamation (Oxford University Press, 2014), a leading text on the law of defamation in England and Wales, and all three editions of The Law of Defamation and the Internet (Oxford University Press, 2001, 2005, 2010), the standard international text on the application of principles of defamation law to online publications.
Dr Collins was the President of the Australian Bar Association in 2021-22. He was Vice-President of the ABA from 2019–21 and, before that, President of the Victorian Bar from 2017–19. He is a Senior Fellow at the Melbourne Law School, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, and a member of the Board and Council of the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration. He is a former National Chair of the Law Council of Australia’s Media and Communications Committee, a former Chair of the Victorian Bar Readers’ Course and a former member of the Melbourne Law School Foundation Board.
Dr Collins has appeared at both appellate and trial level in many of the most significant defamation and free speech cases of the past generation, including Hockey v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd, Wilson v Bauer Media Pty Ltd, Charan Nationwide News Pty Ltd and Gatto v Australian Broadcasting Corp.
He has also appeared in a number of important competition law and related cases (including ACCC v ANZ Banking Group Ltd and ACCC v Yazaki Corp), regulatory enforcement matters for and against regulators (including ASIC v Mitchell, Trivago NV v ACCC and ASIC v ANZ Banking Group Ltd), class actions for applicants and defendants (including Earglow Pty Ltd v Newcrest Mining Ltd, Fox v Westpac Banking Corp and Tour v ANZ Banking Group Ltd), breach of directors’ duties cases (including Hurd v Zomojo Pty Ltd and ASIC v Mitchell), administrative law cases (Environment Victoria Inc v AGL Loy Yang Pty Ltd), sexual abuse compensation claims (ZAB v ZVM) and countless commercial, consumer protection and other disputes.
Dr Collins has appeared in several Royal Commissions both as Counsel Assisting and lead counsel for affected parties, including the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry (for ANZ Banking Group Ltd) and the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (for the Salvation Army)
In 2019, Dr Collins was made a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the law, to legal standards, and to education. In 2020, he was named one of Australia’s 50 Outstanding LGBTI+ Leaders by Deloitte Australia.
*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation
Areas of Practice
Cases
Publications
- Dr Matt Collins QC – Collins on Defamation (2014, Oxford University Press, UK)
- Dr Matt Collins QC – The Law of Defamation and the Internet (2001, 2005, 2010, Oxford University Press, UK)
- Dr Matt Collins QC – Many articles in peer-reviewed journals on aspects of media law
QUALIFICATIONS
BA, LLB (Hons), PhD (Melb)
MEMBERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS
• President, Australian Bar Association 2021–22; Vice-President, 2019-20; Council member, 2017–19
• President, Victorian Bar, 2017–19; Senior Vice-President, 2016–17, Member, 2014–16
• Fellow, Australian Academy of Law
• Board and Council member, Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration
• Chair, Victorian Bar Readers’ Course Committee, 2015–17
• National Chair, Law Council of Australia Media & Communications Committee, 2011–12; Deputy Chair, 2008–10; member since 2001
Dr Matt Collins AM KC
Profile
Dr Matthew Collins AM KC is available to appear and advise in all areas of commercial, media and information technology law. He practises in all Australian jurisdictions.
Matt holds a PhD in law from Melbourne University and is the author of Collins on Defamation (Oxford University Press, 2014), a leading text on the law of defamation in England and Wales, and all three editions of The Law of Defamation and the Internet (Oxford University Press, 2001, 2005, 2010), the standard international text on the application of principles of defamation law to online publications.
Dr Collins was the President of the Australian Bar Association in 2021-22. He was Vice-President of the ABA from 2019–21 and, before that, President of the Victorian Bar from 2017–19. He is a Senior Fellow at the Melbourne Law School, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, and a member of the Board and Council of the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration. He is a former National Chair of the Law Council of Australia’s Media and Communications Committee, a former Chair of the Victorian Bar Readers’ Course and a former member of the Melbourne Law School Foundation Board.
Dr Collins has appeared at both appellate and trial level in many of the most significant defamation and free speech cases of the past generation, including Hockey v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd, Wilson v Bauer Media Pty Ltd, Charan Nationwide News Pty Ltd and Gatto v Australian Broadcasting Corp.
He has also appeared in a number of important competition law and related cases (including ACCC v ANZ Banking Group Ltd and ACCC v Yazaki Corp), regulatory enforcement matters for and against regulators (including ASIC v Mitchell, Trivago NV v ACCC and ASIC v ANZ Banking Group Ltd), class actions for applicants and defendants (including Earglow Pty Ltd v Newcrest Mining Ltd, Fox v Westpac Banking Corp and Tour v ANZ Banking Group Ltd), breach of directors’ duties cases (including Hurd v Zomojo Pty Ltd and ASIC v Mitchell), administrative law cases (Environment Victoria Inc v AGL Loy Yang Pty Ltd), sexual abuse compensation claims (ZAB v ZVM) and countless commercial, consumer protection and other disputes.
Dr Collins has appeared in several Royal Commissions both as Counsel Assisting and lead counsel for affected parties, including the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry (for ANZ Banking Group Ltd) and the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (for the Salvation Army)
In 2019, Dr Collins was made a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the law, to legal standards, and to education. In 2020, he was named one of Australia’s 50 Outstanding LGBTI+ Leaders by Deloitte Australia.
*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation
Areas of Practice
Publication
- Dr Matt Collins QC – Collins on Defamation (2014, Oxford University Press, UK)
- Dr Matt Collins QC – The Law of Defamation and the Internet (2001, 2005, 2010, Oxford University Press, UK)
- Dr Matt Collins QC – Many articles in peer-reviewed journals on aspects of media law
Qualifications & Memberships
QUALIFICATIONS
BA, LLB (Hons), PhD (Melb)
MEMBERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS
• President, Australian Bar Association 2021–22; Vice-President, 2019-20; Council member, 2017–19
• President, Victorian Bar, 2017–19; Senior Vice-President, 2016–17, Member, 2014–16
• Fellow, Australian Academy of Law
• Board and Council member, Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration
• Chair, Victorian Bar Readers’ Course Committee, 2015–17
• National Chair, Law Council of Australia Media & Communications Committee, 2011–12; Deputy Chair, 2008–10; member since 2001