Prominent Queensland Supreme Court Justice David Jackson will retire after more than a decade on the bench and a stellar legal career spanning 45 years.
Justice Jackson today officially notified the Queensland Government of his intention to retire from the bench.
Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman this afternoon praised Justice Jackson for his outstanding contribution to the legal profession in Queensland.
Ms Fentiman said Justice Jackson had proven to be one of the state’s eminent legal minds over a long period of time and his presence would be sorely missed.
“His Honour has made an outstanding contribution to Queensland’s legal system across a number of areas.”
Justice Jackson was admitted as a barrister of the Supreme Court in 1977 after graduating with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland.
He was appointed a Supreme Court judge in 2012 and two years later was appointed chair of the Queensland Law Reform Commission.
“In that role Justice Jackson oversaw reviews of some of the most important legislation introduced in this state over the last decade,” Ms Fentiman said.
“They include, among others, the review of consent laws and the excuse of mistake of fact, the review of termination of pregnancy laws, a report on the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, and another on expunging criminal convictions for historical gay sex offences.”
Throughout his decade on the bench Justice Jackson has presided over a number of high-profile murder trials, including one of his final matters several months ago.
Before his appointment to the bench, his Honour practised at the Bar for 35 years, 22 of those as Queen’s Counsel, where he forged a reputation as an expert in corporate commercial work and mining law.
Justice Jackson holds a unique place in Queensland legal history – when appointed to the bench, his judicial swearing-in ceremony was the first to take place in the Banco Court of the then-newly opened Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law Supreme and District Court complex.
“On behalf of all Queenslanders I thank Justice Jackson for his significant contribution to the community and wish him and his family well for the future,” Ms Fentiman said.
A date for any proposed valedictory is yet to be announced.
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