Professor Jennifer Margaret McKay AM is a leading Australian socio‑legal researcher and academic specialising in water law, environmental governance, and sustainable development law . She currently serves as Professor of Business Law at Adelaide University, bringing more than four decades of interdisciplinary expertise across law, policy, and environmental regulation. Professor McKay is internationally recognised for her extensive research on water law and governance, providing evidence‑based insights that have influenced policymakers, supported legal reform, and helped build trust within the water sector. Her scholarship includes more than 180 publications across environmental and natural resources management law. Her contributions span numerous national and international research bodies, with funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Groundwater Centre of Excellence, UNESCO, the OECD, and the World Bank. She has applied her expertise globally, including research and advisory roles in the United States, India, Fiji, and Vietnam.Professor McKay’s legal and academic career includes major roles at the University of South Australia, University of Melbourne, James Cook University, and an adjunct appointment at the Australian National University College of Law and UniFiji. She also served for 25 years as a part‑time Commissioner and mediator on the South Australian Environment, Resources and Development Court, contributing significantly to natural resource management and dispute resolution between regulators and industry stakeholders. Her professional impact has been recognised widely. In 2023, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the legal profession. She has also been honoured internationally as Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy(2025) and  a Fellow of the International Water Association (2022).Professor McKay’s academic pathway includes a BA in Psychology and Geography, a PhD in Environmental Policy (University of Melbourne), an LLB (University of Adelaide), a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (UniSA), and a Graduate Diploma in Human Rights Law (American University, Washington D.C.). She continues to advance her teaching practice, recently completing a Graduate Certificate in Education (Online Learning) in 2023. Across her career, Professor McKay has been a trusted advisor to governments, contributed to law reform proposals, appeared as an expert witness before Parliamentary committees and Royal Commissions, and championed the inclusion of the human right to a clean, healthy environment in future South Australian human rights legislation. She remains committed to fostering excellence in legal education, mentoring future practitioners, and promoting interdisciplinary approaches to environmental governance and public policy.

Professor Jennifer Margaret McKay AM is a leading Australian socio‑legal researcher and academic specialising in water law, environmental governance, and sustainable development law . She currently serves as Professor of Business Law at Adelaide University, bringing more than four decades of interdisciplinary expertise across law, policy, and environmental regulation. Professor McKay is internationally recognised for her extensive research on water law and governance, providing evidence‑based insights that have influenced policymakers, supported legal reform, and helped build trust within the water sector. Her scholarship includes more than 180 publications across environmental and natural resources management law. Her contributions span numerous national and international research bodies, with funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Groundwater Centre of Excellence, UNESCO, the OECD, and the World Bank. She has applied her expertise globally, including research and advisory roles in the United States, India, Fiji, and Vietnam.Professor McKay’s legal and academic career includes major roles at the University of South Australia, University of Melbourne, James Cook University, and an adjunct appointment at the Australian National University College of Law and UniFiji. She also served for 25 years as a part‑time Commissioner and mediator on the South Australian Environment, Resources and Development Court, contributing significantly to natural resource mana...