MEDIA STATEMENT: Historic appointment of State’s first Supreme Court reserve judges

Historic appointment of State’s first Supreme Court reserve judges

• Crisafulli Government appoints Queensland’s first-ever reserve judges to Supreme Court
• Appointment of the Honourable Robert Gotterson AO KC and the Honourable Philip Morrison KC will help ease significant workload of the Supreme Court
• The appointment may help ease the backlog on Court of Appeal and the Mental Health Court

The Crisafulli Government has appointed the first-ever reserve judges to the Supreme Court of Queensland.

The Honourable Robert Gotterson AO KC and the Honourable Philip Morrison KC, who have both previously served on the bench, were appointed on the recommendation of the Attorney-General, following consultation with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Justice Gotterson AO KC will fill the role until 27 December 2027 while Justice Philip Morrison KC has been appointed for five years.

The appointments may also lead to additional service on the Court of Appeal and the Mental Health Court.

Justice Morrison retired as a Judge of Appeal in June 2024.

His Honour was appointed a judge of the Queensland Court of Appeal in August 2013 and was appointed an acting judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland (July 2024 - August 2024) and an acting member of the Mental Health Court (July 2024 - August 2024).

Justice Gotterson was appointed a judge of the Queensland Court of Appeal in April 2012 and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2014. This was in recognition of his distinguished service to the judiciary, to legal education, administration and professional standards through a range of senior roles and to the community of Queensland.

His Honour retired as a permanent judge in December 2019.

Attorney-General and Minster for Justice Deb Frecklington said the reserve judge roles were significant appointments and would ease the workload of sitting judges.

“Both appointees are highly regarded former judges of the Supreme Court who are eminently qualified and well suited to these roles,” Ms Frecklington said.

“The ability to call on them as reserve judges to address the fluctuating needs of the court will help manage the growing workload of the court.

“We are fortunate to have the benefit of their vast knowledge and experience on a needs basis and for that we are very grateful for their time and service on the bench.”

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Rebecca Nardi 0475 688 124

Background

The Respect at Work and Other Matters Amendment Act 2024, passed on 10 September 2024, included provisions for the appointment of reserve judges in the Supreme and District Courts of Queensland.