Michael Finch

Michael is a Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law – one of the highest professional distinctions available to a lawyer in Queensland, and holds a Master of Laws with a focus on criminal tribunals, human rights, humanitarian law, and public international law. That combination of specialist accreditation and advanced academic grounding means that when Michael takes on your matter, he does so with a level of insight that goes far beyond the courtroom.

But what truly shapes Michael as a lawyer is not just what he has studied, it is where he has been and who he has served. After his admission in 2013, Michael began his career working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service across some of the most remote and underserved communities in Queensland – from Roma and Cunnamulla to Burketown and Mornington Island. That experience gave him something that cannot be taught: a profound understanding of the real human stakes involved in criminal matters, and a deep respect for the vulnerability of the people who need legal help the most. He later took on a Senior Prosecutor role in Mount Isa, giving him a rare and valuable perspective on both sides of the courtroom, an insight that continues to inform and sharpen his defence work today.

Michael’s career has taken him through private practice with a national firm, where he handled serious crime matters and professional disciplinary proceedings for union members, before he made the decision to return home to Far North Queensland in 2018. Since then, he has dedicated himself to criminal defence work across a wide range of matter, including bail applications, drug importation, complex fraud, domestic violence, and extradition – bringing the same care, rigour, and determination to every client he represents.

Michael knows that the people who come to him are often going through one of the most frightening and uncertain periods of their lives. That awareness drives everything he does, from the thoroughness of his preparation to the clarity of his communication. With Michael in your corner, you are not just getting an exceptionally qualified lawyer. You are getting someone who genuinely understands what is at stake for you, and who will fight hard to protect it