New Magistrate appointed to Townsville

Townsville-based Crown Prosecutor Peter Smid has been appointed as a new Magistrate based in Townsville, Attorney-General Kerry Shine said today.

Mr Shine said Magistrate Smid was based in Townsville with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. His appointment as a Magistrate will be effective from tomorrow, with a swearing-in ceremony to be held in Townsville on 24 July.

Mr Shine said the appointment followed the retirement of Magistrate of Graham Hillan.

“Magistrate Smid was born in Holland and he has lived in Australia since the 1970s,” Mr Shine said.

“Magistrate Smid was admitted as a barrister in Queensland in 1983. He served as a legal officer with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions then he was appointed a Crown Prosecutor with the Queensland DPP in 1986. From 1989 to 2000, he was in private practice at the Brisbane Bar before being appointed Consultant Crown Prosecutor to the Queensland ODPP in Townsville.”

Mr Shine said Magistrate Smid brought a wealth of legal experience and expertise, and his appointment to the Magistracy will be widely welcomed.

Magistrate Smid’s appointment was one of five new Magistrate appointments approved by Executive Council. The other appointments are to Cairns, Toowoomba, Southport and Sandgate.

Cairns-based solicitor and outgoing president of the Queensland Law Society Joe Pinder will be appointed to the additional Magistrate position created in the State Budget last month. This Cairns-based appointment was created to conduct more frequent circuit courts in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Cape York and the Torres Strait. Mr Pinder’s appointment will take effect from 13 August.

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