SPEECH

The Honourable Jarrod Bleijie MP

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice
Welcoe Cereony for
Chief Justice! the Honourable Ti Carody and
Justice Peter "lana#an
Su$ree Court of %ueensland
&'()a
"riday! ( Au#ust *+(,
Banco Court! -e.el /! %ueen Eli0abeth 11 Courts of -a2
,() Geor#e Street! Brisbane
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May it $lease the Court
Mr Chief Justice! Honourable Ti Carody
Mr Justice "lana#an
Chief Jud#e Wolfe
Chief Ma#istrate 3inaudo
4our Honours
Major General Arnison
Mr 5oyle %C! President of the Bar Association of %ueensland
Mr Bro2n! President of the %ueensland -a2 Society
5istin#uished #uests! ladies and #entleen
The %ueensland Go.ernent is deli#hted to join 2ith the le#al $rofession and the 2ider
%ueensland counity as 2e 2elcoe Chief Justice Carody and Justice "lana#an to
the Su$ree Court6
Both add si#nificantly to the de$th and di.ersity of this Court6
1 should reiterate fro the outset the #uidin# $rinci$les behind both a$$ointents6
A#ain! 1 rely on the 2ords of the forer -ord Chancellor! -ord Hailsha! 2ho 2rote'
7My first and fundaental $olicy is to a$$oint solely on erit the best $otential
candidate ready and 2illin# to acce$t the $ost6 8o consideration of $arty $olitics! se9!
reli#ion! or race ust enter into y calculations and they do not6 Personality! inte#rity!
$rofessional ability! e9$erience! standin# and ca$acity are the only criteria! cou$led of
course 2ith the re:uireent that the candidate ust be $hysically ca$able of carryin#
out the duties of the $ost! and not dis:ualified by any $ersonal unsuitability6 My
o.erridin# consideration is al2ays the $ublic interest in aintainin# the :uality of the
Bench and confidence in its co$etence and inde$endence6;
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1 note 2ith a$$ro.al that the notion of erit! and its $riacy in the judicial selection
$rocess! has been endorsed by one of y $redecessors! Hon Matt "oley! 2ho! in Au#ust
(&&<! stated'
7The $osition 2ith res$ect to seniority is si$ly this' it is an i$ortant atter to be
ta=en into account6 At the end of the day! ho2e.er! it is i$ortant that these
a$$ointents be ade on erit6;
>ur ne2 Go.ernor! His E9cellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey! recently reflected on
his o2n a$$ointent as Chief Justice at a relati.ely youn# a#e! fro 2hich he ri#htly
inferred that the Go.ernent of the day 2anted soeone 2ho 2ould be there for a
substantial $eriod ? soeone 2ho 2ould brin# fresh ideas and .i#our to the
adinistration of the Su$ree Court6
He identified this as 7#enerational chan#e; and astutely obser.ed 7it@s tie for that to
ha$$en a#ain;6
>ur ne2 a$$ointees 2ere each called to the %ueensland Bar in (&<*6
Cobined! they no2 brin# ore than A+ years of le#al e9$erience to the bench6
Ho2e.er! they ha.e the o$$ortunity to a=e a si#nificant! endurin# contribution to the
$eriodic influ9 of rene2ed .i#our! fresh ideas and #enerational chan#e so necessary for
healthy! res$onsi.e! $ro#ressi.e ste2ardshi$ of our courts6
The forer Chief Justice for#ed a 2ell-deser.ed re$utation for ser.ice and inno.ation ?
aon# other thin#s! o.erseein# the ad.ent of edia roos to co.er ajor trials! audio
recordin# to aid accurate re$ortin#! an end to se:uesterin# deliberatin# juries! and
e.ol.in# technolo#y such as e.idence .ia .ideo conferencin#6
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Generational chan#e is not about abandonin# blac= letter la2 or radicalisin# the courts
? far fro it6
1t@s about ensurin# that %ueensland@s justice syste reains in ste$ 2ith our ra$idly
chan#in# 2orld6
1t@s about ensurin# 2e do not becoe shac=led by tired! outdated con.ention and unduly
constrained orthodo9y6
1t@s about $a.in# the 2ay for adinistrati.e refor and o$erational inno.ation that
enhance justice ser.ices and the #ood standin# of our courts 2ithin the counity6
Soeties that re:uires an e9ternal $ers$ecti.e su$$orted by a fresh set of eyes6
Chief Justice Carody is 2ell e:ui$$ed to consider and deli.er the ne9t 2a.e of refors
and inno.ation6
To cite forer Chief Justice 8icholson of the "aily Court! His Honour is 7a dee$-
thin=in#! reliable! inno.ati.e and sensible eber of the judiciary;6
Hi#h $raise indeed! fro an einent and distin#uished jurist 2ho ser.ed alon#side our
ne2 Chief Justice6
1n fact! the su$$ort fro those 2ho ha.e actually 2or=ed 2ith His Honour has been
o.er2helin#6
1 a deli#hted that this a$$ointent has been 2elcoed by the 2ider le#al $rofession!
as 2ell as the counity ore #enerally! as deonstrated by the o.er2helin#
$rofessional and counity su$$ort today6
1n y .ie2! 2e can all dra2 on the 2ise counsel of the forer Chief Justice! 2hose
2ords no2 carry the added authority of his ne2 station as Go.ernor of %ueensland6
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1n the closin# days of his distin#uished tenure in this $lace! His E9cellency ri#htly
obser.ed that 7the stability of the le#al syste is inte#ral to our deocratic syste and
ust be aintained;6
To that end! he said it 2as incubent on us ? all of us in.ol.ed in the le#al $rocess ? to
$ut the $ublic interest first in su$$ortin# his successor6
That is no #reat challen#e! #i.en His Honour@s lon# and distin#uished ser.ice to the la2!
the de$th and breadth of his le#al e9$erience! his deonstrated adinistrati.e ca$acity!
$ersonal decency and any other :ualities6
1 should $reface y rear=s by sayin# that! if there is one thin# 2e all =no2 about His
Honour no2! it is that he attended 8ud#ee Colle#e6
His Honour first earned his stri$es in the late (&<+s as a le#al officer assistin# the
"it0#erald 1n:uiry! ana#in# a ulti-disci$linary forensic tea! under2orld inforants
and co.ert o$erati.es in the in.esti#ation of or#anised $rostitution and related criinal
acti.ities6 He later ser.ed as a s$ecial $rosecutor6
1n (&&<! he 2as a$$ointed %ueensland Crie Coissioner! in.esti#atin# ajor dru#
o$erations and other or#anised crie usin# s$ecial coerci.e $o2ers6
He 2as a$$ointed as a Senior Counsel in (&&& and a %ueens Counsel in *+(/6
1n *++/! His Honour 2as a2arded the Centenary Medal for distin#uished ser.ice to the
la26
He ser.ed as a Justice of the "aily Court of Australia fro *++/ until *++<! and 2as
3e#ional Coordinatin# Jud#e of the Court@s %ueensland 3e#istry6
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1n *+((! as a sil= $ractisin# at the $ri.ate bar! His Honour 2as a$$ointed as a $art-tie
e9ainer for the Australian Crie Coission to underta=e and su$er.ise the use of its
coerci.e $o2ers in s$ecial o$erations and in.esti#ations6
His Honour has also ser.ed as a eber of -ord Mayor Soorley@s 1llicit 5ru#s Tas=
"orce and a eber of the Police Po2ers Wor=in# Grou$ under the Beattie
Go.ernent6
More recently! he conducted the %ueensland Child Protection Coission of 1n:uiry6
His Honour returned to the bench last year as a jud#e of the 5istrict Court and Chief
Ma#istrate of %ueensland6
He 2as s2orn in as %ueensland@s (<
th
Chief Justice on < July *+(,6
>n behalf of the Go.ernent! 1 than= hi for ta=in# on the hea.y res$onsibilities of this
hi#h office6
His uni:ue i9 of s=ills and e9$erience 2ill $ro.ide the direction and dri.e to build on
the e9cellent 2or= of the forer Chief Justice6
Today@s 2elcoe e9tends! of course! to His Honour@s learned collea#ue! Justice
"lana#an6
A#ain! his credentials s$ea= for thesel.es6
Before acce$tin# this a$$ointent! His Honour $ractised at the Bar for o.er /+ years
includin# t2el.e years as a Senior or %ueens Counsel6
He s$ecialised in $ublic and adinistrati.e la2! as 2ell as edia and coercial la2
2hile de.elo$in# e9$erience in criinal atters6 He also $rosecuted ajor fraud cases
for the Coon2ealth6
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His Honour first cae to $ublic $roinence as Counsel Assistin# in the Jud#e@s 1n:uiry
of (&<&! headed by that ost einent of jurists! Sir Harry Gibbs6
T2o years@ later in (&&(! he ser.ed as Counsel Assistin# in the Coo=e Coission of
1n:uiry6
His Honour has ser.ed on t2o recent in:uiries ? a$$earin# as Counsel for the 1$s2ich
City Council in the %ueensland "loods 1n:uiry of *+(( and! ost recently! as Counsel
Assistin# in the %ueensland Health Payroll Syste 1n:uiry of *+(/6
His Honour 2as s2orn in as a Justice of the Su$ree Court on *B June *+(,6
His Honour@s =no2led#e of the la2! his forensic s=ills and relentless $ursuit of his
clients@ interests are 2idely reco#nised6 They are :ualities that 2ill ser.e hi 2ell on
this Court6
While their res$ecti.e journeys to the Su$ree Court ha.e follo2ed soe2hat different
$aths! Chief Justice Carody and Justice "lana#an brin# any siilar attributes to the
bench ? ac:uired and honed by their lon# and distin#uished history of ser.ice to the
court! the $rofession and 2ider counity6
1n both 4our Honours@ cases you could not ha.e achie.ed 2hat you ha.e 2ithout the
su$$ort of your res$ecti.e failies6
Success in $ositions of this nature de$end so uch on this continuin# su$$ort and
counsel and 1 =no2 you both dee$ly a$$reciate their contributions to your $rofessional
success6
>n behalf of the Go.ernent and the $eo$le of %ueensland! it #i.es e #reat $leasure
to join in forally 2elcoin# and con#ratulatin# the on their a$$ointent to the
Court today6 May it $lease the Court6
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