Qld politics: John Sosso joins Judicial Appointments Advisory Panel

Director-general John Sosso has been appointed to a secretive selection panel, triggering further outrage from the Labor Opposition.

Director-general John Sosso in 2013

Director-general John Sosso has quietly joined a powerful panel advising Attorney-General Deb Frecklington on the appointment of judges and magistrates in Queensland’s courts.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Ms Frecklington has appointed Mr Sosso to the secretive Judicial Appointments Advisory Panel – tasked with presenting her with a shortlist of people suitable to fill a vacancy on the Supreme, District, Land and Magistrates courts.

Mr Sosso’s appointment to the panel comes less than two weeks after Ms Frecklington formally named him to the Queensland Redistribution Commission – where he will help redraw electoral boundaries – despite concerns from eminent corruption buster Tony Fitzgerald.

The state government rewrote the Queensland courts’ guide for judicial appointments to give Ms Frecklington the power to appoint a person with “experience in the justice system that could usefully contribute to the selection of judicial officers, for example … a current or former executive in the Justice portfolio”.

Mr Sosso served as director-general of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General between 2012-15 under the Newman government.

Previously, it was suggested the Attorney-General’s panel include someone with “expertise or experience in the justice system … for example the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner or a representative of the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland”.

Ms Frecklington said Mr Sosso’s appointment updated “decade-old Labor protocols and processes”.

Attorney-General Deb Frecklington on Monday. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

“Mr Sosso is eminently qualified and experienced to serve on any recruitment panel across government,” she said.

“On behalf of Queenslanders I thank him for his four decades of independent service in the public service and the work he will do on the Judicial Appointments Advisory Panel from time to time.”

Mr Sosso’s new influence over the judiciary – as part of an at-least four-member panel – prompted Opposition Leader Steven Miles to sensationally declare the government had a disdain for democracy.

Mr Miles raised concern about the blurring of the separation of powers between the government and judiciary.

“Deb Frecklington ignored concerns from corruption buster Tony Fitzgerald that John Sosso was susceptible to influence when she appointed him on the Queensland Redistribution Commission, and now she has taken it to a whole new level,” he said.

Mr Fitzgerald earlier warned the state “might be reverting to the bad old days of biased electoral boundaries – the notorious Queensland gerrymander”.

He also previously argued Mr Sosso had been inserted into the Fitzgerald inquiry by the Bjelke-Petersen government to interfere with the inquiry.

In a statement to Parliament during the Newman government, Mr Fitzgerald said Mr Sosso was susceptible to influence.

The Judicial Appointments Advisory Panel was established in 2016, partly due to criticism of the Newman government’s infamous appointment of Tim Carmody as chief justice.

Opposition Leader Steven Miles. Picture: John Gass/NCA NewsWire

Originally published as Qld politics: John Sosso joins Judicial Appointments Advisory Panel