The Court of Appeal will now determine whether the Attorney-General has to pay the legal costs of a man who had been accused of a far north Queensland double murder more than 20 years ago.

Earlier this year, a third coronial inquest into the 1991 deaths of Vicki Arnold and Julie-Anne Leahy overturned previous findings of murder-suicide.

The state coroner committed Alan Leahy to stand trial for the murder of his wife and her friend on the Atherton Tablelands.

Mr Leahy maintained his innocence and challenged that finding.

In September, the Supreme Court struck out the coroner’s decision to commit Mr Leahy to stand trial for the murders.

Queensland’s Attorney-General, who had intervened in the case in a bid to have the coroner’s decision upheld, was also ordered to pay Mr Leahy’s legal costs.

The Attorney-General has today lodged an appeal against that order.

Justice Jim Henry has ruled the matter should proceed to the Court of Appeal.