On Tuesday the 8th of September Queensland’s new Chief Justice was announced. In his role as Vice President of the Queensland Council for Civial Liberties, Terry O’Gorman issued the following media release
MEDIA RELEASE BY TERRY O’GORMAN
VICE-PRESIDENT, QUEENSLAND COUNCIL FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES
The Civil Liberties Council today congratulated the Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Attorney‑General Yvette D’Ath on restoring integrity to the process of appointing the Chief Justice.
Whilst welcoming the appropriateness of the appointment itself, the Civil Liberties Council particularly applauds a return to observing the proper processes, conventions and protocols which were so trashed by former Premier Newman and former Attorney‑General Jarrod Bleijie in the botched appointment of Justice Carmody.
“The apparent careful deliberation that accompanied the process leading to yesterday’s announcement of Justice Holmes as the new Chief Justice stands in stark contrast to the cowboy approach taken by the former LNP Government”, Mr O’Gorman said.
Mr O’Gorman also welcomed the balanced and professional approach taken by the Shadow Attorney‑General Ian Walker who graciously acknowledged the propriety of Justice Holmes’ appointment.
“Hopefully Mr Walker’s balanced and judicious approach to the appointment of Justice Holmes as Chief Justice marks an acknowledgement by the LNP Opposition that it got Justice Carmody’s appointment so woefully wrong”, Mr O’Gorman said.
Mr O’Gorman said that despite the proper conventions and protocols being followed by the Palaszczuk Government in the appointment of the new Chief Justice, the case still remains strong for the establishment of a Judicial Commission to deal with complaints against judicial officers, be they Magistrates, District Court Judges or Supreme Court Judges.