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| Queensland chief justice appointment described as throwback to corrupt era | Queensland chief justice appointment described as throwback to corrupt era |
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| Civil libertarians are describing the appointment of Queensland's next chief justice as a throwback to the corrupt era of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen. | Civil libertarians are describing the appointment of Queensland's next chief justice as a throwback to the corrupt era of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen. |
| Tim Carmody's promotion from chief magistrate to supreme court chief justice, in just nine months, has angered the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties. | |
| The council's vice-president, Terry O'Gorman, said it was a throwback to the mid-1970s, when Terry Lewis, in a year, went from being an obscure country inspector at Charleville to police commissioner, leapfrogging better-qualified senior police. | The council's vice-president, Terry O'Gorman, said it was a throwback to the mid-1970s, when Terry Lewis, in a year, went from being an obscure country inspector at Charleville to police commissioner, leapfrogging better-qualified senior police. |
| The condemnation comes a day after Peter Davis, QC, quit as head of the Queensland Bar Association after the attorney-general, Jarrod Bleijie, leaked confidential discussions he had had with one of the minister's senior staff about Carmody's possible selection. | The condemnation comes a day after Peter Davis, QC, quit as head of the Queensland Bar Association after the attorney-general, Jarrod Bleijie, leaked confidential discussions he had had with one of the minister's senior staff about Carmody's possible selection. |
| "The leaking of confidential discussions the attorney-general had with Peter Davis, QC, ... is an extraordinary development that cannot be left unaddressed," O'Gorman said in a statement. | "The leaking of confidential discussions the attorney-general had with Peter Davis, QC, ... is an extraordinary development that cannot be left unaddressed," O'Gorman said in a statement. |
| O'Gorman, a criminal lawyer, said this was a serious breach of convention. | O'Gorman, a criminal lawyer, said this was a serious breach of convention. |
| And it has been revealed that the attorney-general had a private dinner at an upmarket Brisbane restaurant with Carmody a week before he officially took over as chief magistrate. | And it has been revealed that the attorney-general had a private dinner at an upmarket Brisbane restaurant with Carmody a week before he officially took over as chief magistrate. |
| Carmody, who this week was controversially appointed as the state's next chief justice, is being criticised for being too close to the government. | Carmody, who this week was controversially appointed as the state's next chief justice, is being criticised for being too close to the government. |
| He was announced as Queensland's new chief magistrate on September 5 last year, and four days later he had a private dinner with Bleijie at Urbane Restaurant, documents obtained by AAP show. | He was announced as Queensland's new chief magistrate on September 5 last year, and four days later he had a private dinner with Bleijie at Urbane Restaurant, documents obtained by AAP show. |
| The personal dinner between Bleijie and Carmody between 7pm and 8.30pm on September 9, which took place a week before he officially took over as chief magistrate, does not feature on the public diary of ministerial meetings. | The personal dinner between Bleijie and Carmody between 7pm and 8.30pm on September 9, which took place a week before he officially took over as chief magistrate, does not feature on the public diary of ministerial meetings. |
| But Bleijie told AAP through a spokesman that personal diary events were usually exempt from public reporting rules, adding that the dinner with Carmody was social. | But Bleijie told AAP through a spokesman that personal diary events were usually exempt from public reporting rules, adding that the dinner with Carmody was social. |
| "I do see various members of the judiciary socially from time to time," he said. | "I do see various members of the judiciary socially from time to time," he said. |
| "That particular dinner was a congratulatory catch-up following his honour's appointment as chief magistrate." | "That particular dinner was a congratulatory catch-up following his honour's appointment as chief magistrate." |
| The Queensland premier, Campbell Newman, announced in November 2012 a policy whereby he and his cabinet would publicly release their diaries every month. | The Queensland premier, Campbell Newman, announced in November 2012 a policy whereby he and his cabinet would publicly release their diaries every month. |
| Meanwhile, a former state solicitor-general, Walter Sofronoff, QC, said Carmody needed to reconsider his supreme court chief justice appointment. | |
| "He shouldn't be chief justice. He should do the gracious thing and realise that all of this has been a horrible mistake and say that he wouldn't accept the appointment," Sofronoff told ABC television. | "He shouldn't be chief justice. He should do the gracious thing and realise that all of this has been a horrible mistake and say that he wouldn't accept the appointment," Sofronoff told ABC television. |
| "Judge Carmody is somebody who has, by his own actions, identified himself too closely with the government." | "Judge Carmody is somebody who has, by his own actions, identified himself too closely with the government." |
| As chief magistrate in late 2013, he angered the legal profession by issuing a directive that only he would deal with disputed bail applications made by alleged bikies. | As chief magistrate in late 2013, he angered the legal profession by issuing a directive that only he would deal with disputed bail applications made by alleged bikies. |
| The attorney-general's spokesman clarified that Carmody's directive last year stipulated that bikie bail matters be heard in one courtroom. | |
| Bleijie resisted calls at the time for Carmody to step down as chief magistrate, while the Queensland Law Society and civil libertarians slammed Queensland's anti-bikie laws | Bleijie resisted calls at the time for Carmody to step down as chief magistrate, while the Queensland Law Society and civil libertarians slammed Queensland's anti-bikie laws |