The hoo hah and carrying on which has surrounded the appointment and ongoing suitability of His Honour Tim Carmody SC as Chief Justice is no secret.
The supposed basis for the past 11 months of venom which has spewed forth is the apparent lack of experience and qualifications.
There is also an argument of political alignment.
However, every member of the judiciary is appointed by a political party with which they are, even if only distantly, aligned, at the very least in ethos.
But let’s go back to His Honour's apparent lack of experience.
Here we have a gent who was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, not born to a life of privilege afforded to most persons blessed with the type of private school driven OPs which were required of law school entry in the seventies.
We have the son of a Darling Downs meat worker, one of 4 siblings.
We have a young man who spent his later school years in a Housing Commission home at Inala.
And before anyone goes on about Nudgee College, yes, his father was able to scrape together the fees for Nudgee College, for 2 years only.
2 years. To the manor born.
We have someone who, despite having a crack at a Bachelor of Laws when finishing school, succumb to the financial realities of a meat worker’s son trying to compete with the white collar set, and instead joined the Queensland Police Force.
We have an Aussie battler who then managed to complete his law degree part time while serving the community as a Police Officer, and later as a Legal Aid clerk.
Mr Carmody finally made it, and was admitted as a Barrister in 1982, only 5 or 6 years after his straight to university from high school contemporaries.
5 or 6 years too many it seems.
In 1987, Mr Carmody was a Junior Counsel in the Fitzgerald Inquiry.
In 1989, Mr Carmody was a Junior Counsel to the Connoly-Ryan Inquiry into the Criminal Justice Commission.
In 1998, Mr Carmody was appointed as Queensland Crime Commissioner.
In 1999, Mr Carmody became Timothy Carmody SC.
In 2003, Mr Camody SC was appointed as a Judge of the Family Court of Australia (a Federal jurisdiction).
In 2013, Mr Carmody SC presided over the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry.
Later in 2013, Mr Carmody SC was appointed as Queensland Chief Magistrate, a role held by a District Court Judge, not an actual Magistrate.
It was only after all of this, was His Honour Mr Timothy Carmody SC, former Federal Family Court Judge, and current District Court Judge, appointed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland.
Now my question is this.
Aside from the 5 or 6 years during which he needed to drag himself up from his downtrodden blue collar background to catch up to his privileged private school university class mates, when the hell was His Honour Chief Justice Tim Carmody SC supposed to squeeze in any of this supposed lacking qualifications and experience?
Andrew Wiseman, Wiseman Lawyers
Ph: 1300 947 352
Email: andrew.wiseman@wisemanlawyers.com.au
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Queenslanders charged with DUI Drink Driving, Drug Driving or Fail To Provide Specimen face a maximum penalty of a lifetime driver’s licence disqualification, 9 months imprisonment and 28 penalty units.
Persons charged with Careless Driving (Drive Without Due Care & Attention) face a maximum penalty of a lifetime driver’s licence disqualification, 6 months imprisonment and 40 penalty units.
Queenslanders charged with Dangerous Driving, which is a Criminal offence, face a maximum penalty, depending upon the circumstances of aggravation, of 5 years imprisonment, 200 penalty units and a lifetime driver’s licence disqualification.
Persons charged with Disqualified Driving face a maximum penalty of a lifetime driver’s licence disqualification, 12 months imprisonment and 40 penalty units.
Queenslanders charged with Evade Police a maximum penalty of 3 years imprisonment, 200 penalty units and a lifetime licence disqualification.
Persons charged with Repeat DUI Drink Driving, Repeat Drug Driving, Repeat Fail To Provide Specimen, or a Repeat combination of these offences, face a maximum penalty of a lifetime driver’s licence disqualification, 18 months imprisonment and 60 penalty units.
A penalty unit in Queensland is currently worth $113.85.
In addition to the above penalties, anyone who pleads or is found guilty in the Magistrates Court must pay the Offender Levy, which is presently worth $110.90.
Magistrates have a general power to impose up to a lifetime driver’s licence disqualification, above and beyond any legislated disqualification ranges.
Wiseman Lawyers specialise in DUI Drink Driving, Drug Driving, Careless & Dangerous Driving, Evade Police and Drug, Alcohol & Traffic offences.