Clive Palmer tries to remove judge from court hearing
Clive Palmer tries to remove judge alleging he hasn’t been given enough special treatment while representing himself.
Clive Palmer is trying to remove a judge from hearing a court bid to freeze $200m worth of his assets, alleging the judge has not given him enough special treatment because he is representing himself.
Former federal MP Mr Palmer is fighting an ongoing attempt by Queensland Nickel’s liquidators to freeze his assets in order to stop Mr Palmer shifting his wealth offshore and away from the company’s hundreds of creditors.
The hearing in the Queensland Supreme Court was due to resume today, but the self-represented Mr Palmer disrupted proceedings with a last-minute application to have Justice John Bond recused.
Awkwardly, barristers for Mr Palmer’s companies said they did not wish to be heard on the recusal application and did not support it.
Justice Bond told Mr Palmer that though he was a self-represented litigant, he had access to a team of skilled lawyers and barristers who are currently representing Mr Palmer’s corporate interests in the case.
Mr Palmer said that missed the point.
“As a self-represented litigant, it is not a question of wealth, but knowledge, skill and ability,” he said.
Justice Bond also reminded Mr Palmer that he had promised not to try and recuse him just weeks ago, after Mr Palmer tried and failed to have another Supreme Court judge David Jackson recused from hearing a separate matter.
Justice Jackson later went on to rule against Mr Palmer’s flagship company Mineralogy, ordering it pay a bill of about $US17m to Singaporean company BGP Geoexplorer.
The hearing continues.