Emergency services found the body of Melbourne barrister Ross Ray QC pinned under a quad bike on Sunday after they were called to his hobby farm near Mansfield.

A police spokeswoman confirmed that a report would be prepared for the coroner, while WorkSafe Victoria would also investigate the accident at the property on Hearns Road in Merrijig.

In 2005, Mr Ray appeared in court on behalf of quad bike maker Honda in a legal bid to dismiss a coroner from an inquest into a spate of deaths in Victoria and Tasmania involving quad bikes.

Honda had asked the Supreme Court to disqualify Victorian coroner Graeme Johnstone from the inquest after he made contact with a witness who expressed a view that an absence of roll-over bars on quad bikes had led to the deaths of two people.

Mr Ray and his co-counsel argued on behalf of Honda that Mr Johnstone had shown bias by approaching the witness, quad bike safety advocate Professor Raphael Grzebieta, to participate in a training course.

But Justice Tim Smith dismissed the application, finding that the coroner had maintained an "impartial and unprejudiced mind" throughout the inquest.

In addition to whether the deaths could have been prevented, Justice Smith said the main dispute at the inquest relevant to Honda's bid centred around the introduction of roll-over bars on all quad bikes.

WorkSafe Victoria recently tightened rules around quad bikes, requiring businesses to install roll-over protection devices if they are used on a worksite.

The industry has fought the introduction of mandatory roll-over bars on quad bikes, arguing that there is not enough evidence that they work and they can lead to injuries themselves.

Mr Ray, who was in his 60s, was a former president of the Law Council of Australia and Chair of the Victorian Bar between 2004 and 2005.

He appeared before several Royal Commissions and recently worked as a prosecutor on behalf of WorkSafe Victoria in its case against Essendon Football Club's ill-fated supplements program.

From 2007, he served as the inaugural chair of the South Pacific Lawyers Association and was praised for his "vision" of strengthening justice in the Asia-Pacific region.

President of the Law Council of Australia Stuart Clark said Mr Ray was a truly extraordinary individual, who would leave behind a hole not easily filled.

"Ross wasn't just a brilliant legal mind, he was a close friend and confidant of many in the legal community, including a number here at the law council," Mr Clark said.

"His sharp wit, coupled with a down-to-earth character and great sense of humour, was cherished by all who met him.

"To say that Ross will be missed by those who knew him is an understatement."

The death underscores the dangers associated with quad bikes, which accounted for almost 40 per cent of all farm deaths in Australia last year.

According to data from the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety, 15 people were killed while using quad bikes in 2015.

Quad bikes have been the leading cause of death on farms for the past five years. More than 200 people have been killed while riding quad bikes since 2001.

The rising death toll has prompted calls to ban children under the age of 16 from riding the vehicles and other safety measures including roll bars, mandatory licensing, and specialised training.

It took until 2009 for Coroner John Olle to complete the inquest into the eight deaths, which took place in Victorian and Tasmania in 2002.

He found manufacturers had a responsibility to inform buyers about the dangers of quad bikes. Riders needed proper training to operate the bikes correctly, he said.

He also said the label "all terrain vehicle" was misleading, as it gave the impression the bikes did not pose a danger on uneven terrain.