Lawyers in case appeal
Southport’s sittings wane Supreme
A “DISAPPOINTING” lack of cases scheduled in a rare Southport Supreme Court sitting has infuriated leading Gold Coast criminal lawyers.
They blame administration difficulties and timing.
The legal fraternity have said those difficulties have only highlighted the need to expand court services on the Gold Coast, especially when it came to a permanent Supreme Court.
The higher court was supposed to sit for two weeks from September 2. Only seven matters were on the list and the court sat for just three days.
Gold Coast lawyers say there is still a need for the higher court due to the high volume of matters being heard in Brisbane.
In recent months some high profile Gold Coast cases have been heard in the capital city, including the manslaughter of Novy Chardon by husband John Chardon; Theresa Dalton for arranging a hitman to kill her ex-husband; the manslaughter of good Samaritan Darren Puller by Alexander Craig Kirke; and the attempted murder of former Big Brother contestant Samuel Wallace by Anthony Yoon Sun Soong.
Lawyers have said they travel to Brisbane up to five days a week for Supreme Court matters.
They say establishing a more permanent base on the Gold Coast would be less emotionally taxing for victims, families and witnesses. It would also save on costs and the travel of lawyers and police to court.
Gold Coast District Law Association president Mia Behlau said many lawyers find difficulties with how the sittings had been organised.
She said establishing a Supreme Court registry would help recognise which matters were Southport based.
“Once we know how many matters there are, that will go a long way,” she said.
Regional centres Maryborough and Toowoomba have regular Supreme Court sittings with a registry based in their town to manage the list. The Coast list is managed from Brisbane.
Gatenbys Criminal Lawyers director Michael Gatenby said a Southport-based registry was needed to help the court keep track of which matters were Gold Coast cases.
During the Supreme Court sitting Mr Gatenby travelled to Brisbane for a Gold Coast Supreme Court case because he was told it could not be heard in Southport.
“I tried to list them and they were saying it was too far.”
Mr Gatenby said a Southport registry would help show which matters were Gold Coast based.
“There is a need, they just haven’t accommodated it.”
Mr Gatenby said the Supreme Court sitting on the Gold Coast was so rare judges often forgot about it when listing matters.
It is only the second time the higher court has sat on the Gold Coast since 2007.
Howden Saggers Lawyers senior associate Joe Wicking said it was often a case of timing on when a matter could be heard.
“It’s difficult to identify matters so far in advance,” he said.
Mr Wicking said with clients in custody it was often better to deal with the case as soon as possible.
A spokeswoman for Chief Justice Catherine Holmes said the sittings had been “extremely disappointing”.
“This is despite the Gold Coast legal profession being given at least six months’ notice, with subsequently three call-overs,” she said.