Stuart John Wood AM KC (Born 1967) is an Australian barrister.[1] In 2019, Wood was appointed for Australia Day Honours as a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia "for significant service to the legal profession, particularly in the area of industrial relations".[2][better source needed] Wood is a current member of the board of the National Portrait Gallery, non-executive chairman of Great Southern Press, and the Secretary of the Samuel Griffith Society.[3] He first signed the Bar roll on 25 May 1995 and was appointed King's Counsel on 22 November 2011.[4]

His principal chambers are in Melbourne.

Education

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In 1992, Wood graduated with a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from the University of Melbourne. Previous to studying the law, Wood had completed a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Chemistry at the same institution.[5]

Career

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Wood successfully represented Professor Peter Ridd against James Cook University in 2019.[6] The Federal Circuit Court ordered James Cook University to pay the marine scientist $1.2 million in compensation for what it ruled to be an unlawful sacking. Proponents have claimed this decision to be a historic win for freedom of speech in Australia.[7]

He, together with Eddy Gisonda and Nico Burmeister, represented sacked rugby union player Israel Folau.[8][9]

References

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  1. ^ "Melbourne silk Stuart Wood taps Costello and Capper to celebrate his 50th". Australian Financial Review. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  2. ^ "STUART WOOD, AM, QC". rotaryclubofmelbourne.org.au. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  3. ^ "The Samuel Griffith Society" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Stuart Wood AM, QC | Victorian Bar". www.vicbar.com.au. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  5. ^ "H.R. Nicholls Society: 'We used to run this country, and it wouldn't be a bad thing if we did again': Contributors". archive.hrnicholls.com.au. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Ridd v James Cook University – Stuart Wood QC". Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  7. ^ "Peter Ridd has defeated the Climate Inquisition thanks to you". The Spectator Australia. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  8. ^ Proszenko, Samantha Hutchinson, Tom Decent, Adrian (21 May 2019). "Folau turns to top silk as Rugby Australia case heads for legal stoush". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 August 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Dolor, Sol. "Israel Folau picks Macpherson Kelley, Stuart Wood QC for employment dispute". Australasian Lawyer. Retrieved 27 August 2019.