Two new District Court Judges appointed

• Current Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) Deputy Director Philip McCarthy KC appointed as District Court Judge.
• Southport Magistrate Dzenita Balic elevated to District Court Judge.
• Both commence on 26 August 2024.

Two senior Queensland legal figures have been appointed as judges of the District Court of Queensland.

Southport-based Magistrate Dzenita Balic and current Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Philip McCarthy KC begin their formal appointments on Monday 26 August 2024.

Mr McCarthy KC was first called to the Bar in 1997 and was appointed as the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in 2021. 

He was recognised as a leader within the legal profession through his appointment as King’s Counsel in December 2019.

Mr McCarthy KC has appeared as lead counsel in criminal trials in the superior courts in complex and difficult proceedings.

As a Crown Prosecutor, Mr McCarthy KC has conducted numerous Supreme Court and District Court jury trials including homicides, attempted homicides, historic and complex sexual crimes, complex frauds, official corruption and professional misconduct.

Mr McCarthy KC has conducted more than 100 appeals in the Queensland Court of Appeal and appeared as lead counsel in 10 special leave applications in the High Court of Australia.

Mr McCarthy KC was a member of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce, the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council and a member of the Forensic Services Queensland Interim Advisory Board.

Magistrate Dzenita Balic began her career as a legal support officer with the ODPP.

Magistrate Balic was first called to the Bar in 2006 and moved through the ODPP ranks to become the Principal Crown Prosecutor at Ipswich, Maroochydore and Brisbane.

Her Honour appeared as lead counsel in the superior courts, prosecuting serious criminal offences including murder, drug trafficking and sexual offences.

Her Honour prosecuted more than 150 criminal trials to verdict and more than 120 appeals in the Court of Appeal. Her Honour also regularly appeared in the Mental Health Court jurisdiction on the most serious of references. 

Magistrate Balic was welcomed to the Magistrates Court Bench in 2022, sitting in Southport.

As a Magistrate, Ms Balic has presided over and exercised discretion in trials and sentences in the criminal jurisdiction, matters in the specialist domestic and family violence courts and hearings in the civil jurisdiction.

Magistrate Balic has contributed to policy and practice improvements as a member of the criminal sub-committee, domestic violence committee and therapeutic jurisprudence committee of the Magistrates Court.

Originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Magistrate Balic arrived in Australia as a refugee.

She is a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Justice Network and is a former Diversity Chair on the Committee of the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland (2020-2022).

Quotes attributable to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Yvette D’Ath:

“I congratulate both Mr Philip McCarthy KC and Ms Dzenita Balic on their well-deserved appointments.

“It is pleasing to see two individuals who have been such significant contributors to the legal profession and the community stepping into such important positions.

“Both possess significant experience as crown prosecutors and have appeared in the higher courts on complex and significant proceedings including the most serious of criminal offences.

“Their appointments to the District Court are a reflection of their considerable expertise in, and passion for, the law and justice in Queensland.

“I am confident they will be great assets to the ranks of our Queensland judges.”

ENDS