Gold Coast lawyers urged to use next Supreme Court sitting or risk losing it completely

August 2019 will mark the second time the Supreme Court has visited the Gold Coast since 2007. Now there’s a push to keep it returning to the city.

A second Supreme Court scheduling is being pushed for on the Gold Coast. Picture: Brendan Radke.

GOLD Coast legal eagles are being urged to support a second local Supreme Court sitting to ensure the higher court continues to return to the city.

The circuit Supreme Court has been scheduled for August 2019, only the second time the court has visited the Gold Coast since 2007.

Incoming Queensland Law Society president and Gold Coast criminal lawyer Bill Potts appealed to his colleagues on the eve of taking the reins the state’s peak legal body.

He said a successful circuit sitting was pivotal to the city’s fight for a permanent Supreme Court.

Criminal Lawyer Bill Potts has supported the move as “pivotal” for a permanent Supreme Court. Picture Mike Batterham

“I urge all local legal practitioners to support it,” he said.

“We can’t say we deserve it if we don’t support it.”

The city’s legal fraternity have spent the past 12 months campaigning for a permanent Supreme Court.

The last circuit sitting was conducted in August 2018, with two weeks of scheduled sentences and a trial.

The sitting ended days early, due to a small case load, something local lawyers attributed to a lack of notice and many matters already being listed in Brisbane.

Mr Potts said the Southport Courthouse also needed more support to deal with an increasing workload.

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He said the number of police officers had increased on the Gold Coast over time, but the resources for the court system had not changed.

“Those police are not sitting around doing nothing — they are arresting people,” Mr Potts said.

Lawyers say a Supreme Court at Southport would help reduced a clogged court system, reduce costs of travel time on the already gridlocked M1 and allow for jurors from the Gold Coast to be picked for local cases.

Gatenby Criminal Lawyers director Michael Gatenby, who had a number of cases in this year’s Supreme Court sitting, said he welcomed the second sitting of the higher court.

“I think there has been a real groundswell of people crying out for a Supreme Court,” Mr Gatenby said.

Michael Gatenby said there is a growing number of people calling for a local Supreme Court. Picture Mike Batterham

“A busy sitting will justify the need for a permanent court.”

Southport is the second busiest Magistrates Court in the state and a large number of serious matters are ultimately finalised in the Supreme Court in Brisbane.

Smaller regional cities such as Rockhampton, Cairns and Townsville all have permanent Supreme Courts despite having significantly smaller populations.

Meanwhile, Gold Coast lawyers continue to push for a permanent Family Court on the burgeoning Coast.

The State and Federal Governments have declined to commit to either.