Five new Queensland Magistrates appointed

Five new appointments to Queensland’s Magistrates Court have been approved by Executive Council today, Attorney-General Kerry Shine said.

Mr Shine said the new Magistrates were appointed to courts in Southport, Sandgate, Toowoomba, Townsville and Cairns.

The new appointments are:
·Brisbane-based barrister and accredited mediator Michael Hogan (Southport)
·Brisbane-based solicitor and criminal law specialist Michael Quinn (Sandgate)
·Brisbane-based solicitor and legal consultant Damian Carroll (Toowoomba)
·Townsville-based Crown Prosecutor with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Peter Smid (Townsville)
·Cairns-based solicitor and outgoing Queensland Law Society president Joe Pinder (Cairns)

Mr Shine said the appointments of Magistrates Hogan, Quinn, Carroll and Smid are effective from tomorrow (20 July), while Magistrate Pinder’s appointment will be from 13 August. Magistrates Hogan, Quinn and Carroll will be sworn-in in Brisbane tomorrow.

“The appointments to Southport, Sandgate, Toowoomba and Townsville follow recent retirements from the Magistracy,” Mr Shine said.

“The appointment of Magistrate Pinder to Cairns fills the additional Magistrate’s position created in the State Budget last month. This position will be based in Cairns to conduct more frequent circuit courts in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Cape York and the Torres Strait.”

Mr Shine said the Magistrates Court was the “frontline” of justice administration in Queensland as it hears more than 95% of criminal matters coming before the State’s courts.

“The number of matters coming before Queensland’s Magistrates courts is increasing. The appointment of new and additional Magistrates, and the Government’s initiative to trial judicial registrars to alleviate pressure on the Magistrates Court, are assisting the court to maintain its very impressive clearance rates,” Mr Shine said.

“Five additional Magistrates’ positions have been created in the last two years.”

19 July 2007
Media contact: Kirby Anderson 3239 6400 or 0418 197 350