Gold Coast Supreme court has ‘got to happen’ law society says
ESTABLISHING a permanent Supreme Court on the Gold Coast is something that “has got to happen” according to the city’s major legal professional body — for the sake of justice.
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THE city’s peak legal body says establishing a permanent Supreme Court on the Gold Coast is “important for justice” and “has to happen”.
Mia Behlau yesterday said the Gold Coast District Law Association (GCDLA) was in the early stages of putting together a working group to help lobby the State Government for the higher court.
“It’s just something that has got to happen,” the GCDLA president said.
“There is certainly a need for it and it’s important for justice.”
Mr Behlau’s push comes after Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath told the Bulletin she had “no plans” for a permanent Supreme Court on the Coast.
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The State Government has pushed the decision back to Chief Justice Catherine Holmes, even though the state’s three other regionally based Supreme Courts — in Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns — were all established through new legislation.
Top-flight lawyers have been imploring the State Government for the a higher court for “years”.
This month, for the first time more than a decade a Supreme Court justice spent 10 days handing down sentences and conducting a trial from the Southport Courthouse.
The Supreme Court deals with the most serious cases including murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, drug trafficking and possession of large amounts of drugs.
Lawyers said establishing a Supreme Court would reduce the cost of travel for witnesses, lawyers and defendants, increase efficiency by preventing lawyers from having to travel up and down the M1, allow victims and their families to easily observe proceedings and ensure Gold Coast trials are heard in front of juries made up of Gold Coast residents.
The recent circuit sitting has been considered a success with many practitioners offering up work.
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“There is a difficulty in having such a short Supreme Court sitting — it’s very hard to plan what a list might look like before the sittings,” Ms Behlau said.
She said the law association would like at least the first step of setting up a registry in the Southport Courthouse.
Ms Behlau said this would allow it to be easily determined how much work is in Southport — particularly civil cases which are all filed in the Brisbane registry at the moment.
LNP leader Deb Frecklington said action was required from the State Government.
“With crime out of control and almost 50 fewer local police, it’s no wonder the Gold Coast community are screaming out for a permanent Supreme Court rotation,” she said.
“Any additional expenses would be minor and should be funded by Labor in the next state budget.”
In the 2016-2017 financial year, 194 cases were committed to the Supreme Court from Southport, all to be heard in Brisbane. It was a big jump from 2008-09 when 114 cases were handed up.
Southport councillor Dawn Crichlow said she would be writing to the Chief Justice to push for a higher court on the Gold Coast.
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