Supreme cop out

Ex-judge slams govt’s indecision

A RETIRED Gold Coast judge has accused the State Government of “copping out” and lacking courage by failing to establish a Supreme Court in Southport.

Lawyers on the Gold Coast have been calling for the higher court to be established in Southport to reduce the need to travel to Brisbane.

In July, Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said it was up to Chief Justice Catherine Holmes whether a Southport Supreme Court would be created.

But former Southport District Court Judge Clive Wall, who retired in 2016, slammed the indecision.

“There is no real reason there should not be a Supreme Court judge based here,” Mr Wall said.

“For the government to say ‘oh it’s up to the chief judge’, it’s a complete cop out, it really, really is.”

Mr Wall said the State Government would need to change legislation in order to establish a Supreme Court in Southport.

He said that was the process used to establish regional Supreme Courts in Townsville, Rockhampton and Cairns.

“They could easily do that, but they don’t have the courage to make a decision themselves,” he said.

“It would not be interfering in the judiciary, it would be doing what governments do.”

Mr Wall said the Southport Court had enough court rooms and judges chambers to accommodate a permanent Supreme Court justice.

“There is more than enough work here, both civil and criminal, to justify permanent supreme court sittings here,” he said.

The Bulletin asked Ms D’Ath if the State Government would consider changing the legislation, or establishing a Supreme Court on the Gold Coast.

A spokesman offered no new comment, and referred the Bulletin to an old response from July 9:

“The Chief Justice of Queensland manages the workloads and determines the allocation of judicial resources within the Supreme Court of Queensland,” the written, unattributed response reads.

Chief Justice Holmes told the Bulletin last week, “The establishment of a permanent Supreme Court at Southport is a matter for the Attorney-General”.

A circuit sitting of the Supreme Court in Southport will be held for the first time in more than a decade for two weeks from August 20.

Ms Holmes said it was “disappointing” the circuit sitting was not as busy as expected.

“Only criminal matters will be heard, because no civil matters were identified for trial,” she said.

“Indications are that the current listings will be insufficient to fill the entire two weeks, despite the Court asking for matters to be brought on in that sittings.”