South Australia Chief Justice John Doyle announces resignation
SUPREME Court Chief Justice John Doyle has stunned legal and political circles by announcing he will resign next month.
SUPREME Court Chief Justice John Doyle has stunned legal and political circles by announcing he will resign next month.
His departure comes three years before the mandatory retirement age of 70.
It is set to trigger the biggest change within the Supreme Court in recent legal history.
Both he and Justice Margaret Nyland will leave the bench before the end of the year, stripping it of years of experience and stability.
Speculation is now focused on who will take over the role.
Justice Chris Kourakis and Solicitor General Martin Hinton, QC, are considered frontrunners.
Chief Justice Doyle announced his resignation in a statement just after 2pm yesterday. He said he would step down from the position he has held for 17 years on June 22.
"Although I have been considering this move for some time, this was not an easy decision to make," he said.
"However, I believe that it is best to make room for someone new.
"My resignation will lead to new leadership of the court and the Courts Administration Authority for the years and challenges ahead.
"It has been an honour to serve the community as Chief Justice."
The Advertiser understands a health issue is one of the reasons for Chief Justice Doyle's resignation.
While holidaying in Bordeaux, France, His Honour was struck by a scooter when he out jogging and he relied on a wheelchair while recovering. Yesterday, Law Society of SA President Ralph Bonig said the resignation had caught the legal community off-guard.
"Everyone would have expected the Chief Justice to, barring unforseen circumstances, continue to the normal retirement age," Mr Bonig said.
"There was no reason to think that would not occur."
Attorney-General John Rau said Chief Justice Doyle had been a strong and inspirational leader. "His departure will mark the end of a significant chapter of the courts history, and the beginning of a new one," Mr Rau said.
That new chapter will be marked, primarily, by new faces.
In addition to Chief Justice Doyle, Justice Margaret Nyland will turn 70 in November. The court will therefore lose two of its most senior members in the space of five months.
It has already experienced significant renewal, with Justices David Peek, Tim Stanley and Malcolm Blue appointed over the past two years.
Leading candidates to fill the Chief Justice role include Justice Chris Kourakis, Martin Hinton, QC , Justice Richard White and top silk Dick Whitington, QC.