Supreme Court of Queensland

Queensland Court Hierarchy

Federal Law Courts High Court of Australia Federal Court of Australia

Queensland Law Courts Supreme Court of Queensland Court of Appeal Trial Division District Court of Queensland Magistrates' Court of Queensland

George Street facade of the Law Courts Complex, in which the Court sits

The Supreme Court of Queensland, which is based at the Law Courts Complex, is the superior court for the Australian State of Queensland and sits around the middle of the Australian court hierarchy. It has jurisdiction within the state in:

• civil matters for claims over $250,000;
• serious criminal offences including murder, manslaughter and serious drug offences; and
• matters arising under the Corporations Act 2001 and cross-vesting legislation.

The court has judges permanently appointed to sit in Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns and regularly sits in other regional districts.

Composition

In 1991 the Queensland Supreme Court was restructured into two divisions, the Trial Division and the Court of Appeal. The Court is headed by the Chief Justice of Queensland (currently Chief Justice Paul de Jersey) who sits in both the Trial Division and the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal comprises the President (currently Justice Margaret McMurdo) and four Judges of Appeal, who sit only in the Court of Appeal. Proceedings in the Court of Appeal are usually heard by three judges. The Trial Division comprises a number of trial judges, and is headed by the Senior Judge Administrator (currently Justice John Byrne). Proceedings in the Trial Division are heard by one trial judge. Most trial division judges also rotate through the Court of Appeal, usually for three week periods.

Appeals from:

• the Trial Division are heard by the Court of Appeal; and
• the Court of Appeal are heard by the High Court of Australia.

The Court of Appeal also hears appeals from the District Court of Queensland.

Current Judges

Current as at April 2007 (appointment date in brackets):

Chief Justice

• Paul de Jersey (17 February 1998)

Court of Appeal

• President Margaret McMurdo (30 July 1998)
• John Jerrard (3 June 2002)
• Patrick Keane (21 February 2005)
• Catherine Holmes (26 May 2006)
• John Muir (12 July 2007)
• Hugh Fraser (24 January 2008)
• Richard Chesterman (11 December 2008)

Trial Division

• Senior Judge Administrator John Byrne (25 July 1989)
• Kenneth Mackenzie (10 April 1989)
• Margaret White (2 April 1992)
• Keiran Cullinane (16 November 1992)
• George Fryberg (23 September 1994)
• Stanley Jones (2 October 1997)
• Margaret Wilson (20 August 1998)
• Roslyn Atkinson (3 September 1998)
• Peter Dutney (16 March 2000)
• Debra Mullins (16 March 2000)
• Anthe Philippides (14 December 2000)
• Philip McMurdo (3 March 2003)
• James Douglas (1 December 2003)
• Ann Lyons (7 July 2006)
• Martin Daubney (12 July 2007)
• Glenn Martin (30 August 2007)
• Duncan McMeekin (15 October 2007)
• Peter Applegarth (3 September 2008)
• Peter Lyons (10 February 2009)

Noted Judges

• Peter Connolly
• Harry Gibbs, who later became the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia
• Samuel Griffith, the first Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia
• Bruce McPherson

Sir Edward Williams (judge)

See also

• Judiciary of Australia
• Law Courts, Brisbane
• List of Judges of the Supreme Court of Queensland

References

• "About the Courts". Queensland Courts. http://www.courts.qld.gov.au/about/role_sc.htm. Retrieved on 28 May 2005. 
• "Queensland Judges Past & Present". http://www.courts.qld.gov.au/about/former/default.htm. Retrieved on 28 May 2006. 

Turner, Clive 2004, Australian Commercial Law, 25th edn, Lawbook Co., Sydney.

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