Magistrate shortage desperate

A GOLD Coast magistrate has called out understaffing at Southport Courthouse after only having one magistrate available to allocate work to yesterday.

Magistrate John Costanzo yesterday lamented the lack of magistrates at Southport Courthouse as he considered who would hear a summary trial scheduled alongside a full list of sentences and mentions.

“As everyone knows, there are a lot of (judicial) vacancies at Southport at the moment,” Mr Costanzo said.

“At the end of the year, if none are (replaced) we will have five or six vacancies ... so that’s where I’m at.”

The comments come after several departures of magistrates from the Southport Courthouse in the past 12 months.