Use it or lose it warning

Lawyers on notice over Supreme Court sittings

GOLD Coast lawyers are being warned to “use it or lose it” when it comes to a circuit sitting of the Supreme Court.

A Gold Coast sitting of the higher court has been scheduled for a week in September this year – the third time in three years the court has sat at Southport.

Before 2018, the court had not sat on the Gold Coast for a decade.

Despite calls from the city’s legal fraternity for a permanent court, the 2019 sitting concluded early because there were not enough matters.

The situation is looking as bleak for the sitting in September. “There has been no firm interest in the September circuit sitting at Southport at this point in time,” a spokeswoman for the Supreme Court said.

Despite the lack of interest, Gold Coast lawyers say they travel to Brisbane at least once a week for a Supreme Court matter.

The push for the court in Southport has been growing.

In the 2017-18 financial year, 156 matters were committed from Southport and Coolangatta.

That rose to 176 the following financial year.

It was a big jump from 2008-09, when 114 cases were handed up.

Potts Lawyers director Bill Potts said he had long campaigned to get the higher court permanently on the Gold Coast.

“It’s a use it or lose it situation,” he said.

“A lot of local practitioners say this is a really good idea but for reasons I can’t explain, they don’t support it.”

He said it was disappointing that there was vocal support but not lot of matters were put forward.

“It think it’s important for the Supreme Court to come here but if we don’t support it, there is not reason for them to come.”

Lawyers have said a permanent Gold Coast Supreme Court would mean less travel on the M1 and cut the costs for clients, meaning witnesses would not have to travel and jurors would be familiar with the area where a crime had happened.

Allen & Searing Criminal Lawyers director Jodi Allen said a Southport sitting meant some matters might be heard quicker.

“It means we don’t have to wait for a slot in Brisbane,” she said.

Ms Allen said the coronavirus pandemic had thrown out a lot of planning and she expected more matters to be flagged.

She said most lawyers had until the middle of the month to put matters forward but that might be extended because of the pandemic.

Ms Allen said an annual sitting was not enough. “I think it would be good to have month on and month off,” she said.

She said regular sittings would allow Gold Coast lawyers to plan and schedule matters at Southport.

The sittings are scheduled to be held in the week starting September 7.