Your Honours, Colleagues and Guests:
Welcome to the “Queensland Bar Dinner”.
I coin it thus because, in years past, it was known often as the “High Court Dinner”.
In past years with the coincidence of the High Court sitting and mid-year school vacation, and this year the absence of any High Court sitting in Brisbane, the fresh label is apt.
The Bar Association hopes, however, that the High Court once through its budgetary difficulties, will see its way clear to renew the annual visits.
Guests:
Many of the heads of jurisdiction, or court or tribunal divisions have honoured us with their presence.
Justice Susan Kiefel and Chief Justice Patrick Keane have asked me to extend their regrets at not being able to join us this evening.
The acknowledged leader of the legal profession in Queensland, Chief Justice Paul de Jersey, is with us.
Chief Justice, it gives me pleasure to announce this evening that the reading and function room at the new Bar premises, which opened last week, will be named the “Paul de Jersey Room” in your honour as our leader now for over 13 years. You are soon to officially open the premises for us.
Court of Appeal President Justice Margaret McMurdo is also with us. Her Honour is a strong supporter of Association endeavours.
Through you, Justice McMurdo, the Association congratulates the court on the celebration this year of 20 years since establishment of the appeal division. I encourage all present to attend the court’s celebratory Keith Mason lecture on 24 October which we will again circularize.
District Court Chief Judge Patsy Wolfe is also with us. We congratulate you, Judge, for your 12 years service in stewardship of your important trial court, and for your unfailing support of the Association.
Chief Magistrate Judge Brendan Butler SC is here too. Judge, at your recent conference at which I spoke many a magistrate told me of the steady hand you have brought to bear in your large decentralised court.
AAT Deputy President Philip Hack SC is with us tonight. Mr Hack, along with Justice Glenn Martin, at the forthcoming AGM, have been nominated this year for life membership for their long and dedicated service to our Association.
I welcome too the other judges and magistrates who have joined us.
Regulator:
The Legal Services Commissioner John Briton is also with us. John, without fail, attends our annual conference and this dinner and meets with Bar Council members regularly on regulatory issues.
The Association has an excellent relationship with John and his staff and we welcome his recent reappointment.
Parliamentary Colleagues:
The Attorney General, the Honourable Paul Lucas, cannot be with us. He is on holidays overseas with his family.
Despite the Association’s recent public differences with the Attorney over the introduction of substantial court fees, the Attorney and I continue to speak regularly on justice issues and we enjoy an excellent relationship.
The Shadow Attorney General, and solicitor, Jarrod [P: BLAY] Bleijie, is with us this evening.
Jarrod, thank you for accepting our invitation and for your regular well-informed arm’s length dealings with the Association.
Our Solicitor Colleagues:
Queensland Law Society President Bruce Doyle cannot be with us as he is in Korea.
The Society’s immediate past President, and great friend of the Bar, Peter Eardley, is here. We welcome you Peter.
We also welcome Society CEO Noela L’Estrange. Noela is a font of knowledge on all matters pertaining to our profession and a great companion.
Interstate Colleagues:
One of the great pleasures of my role is to mix regularly, through the boards of the Australian Bar Association and the Law Council, with our interstate Bar Colleagues.
My predecessor Michael Stewart SC, as you know, is the ABA President, and he is here tonight.
The industrious and well travelled president of the Law Council, Alex Ward, a South Australian barrister, honours us with his attendance this evening. Welcome Alex.
Present also tonight as our honoured guests are the Chairman of the Bar Council of Victoria Mark Moshinsky SC, President of the South Australian Bar Association Mark Livesey QC, President of the ACT Bar Association Philip Walker, and the longstanding CEO of the New South Wales Bar Association Philip Selth OAM.
Please introduce yourself to these people if you don’t already know them. In many ways they contribute greatly to the wellbeing and efficient conduct of the profession of the Bar across this country.
Purpose of Tonight:
The purpose of tonight, of course, is for us to enjoy the company of our bar, judicial and other legal colleagues away from the adversarial arena.
Collegiality is a cornerstone of the bar. It nurtures courtesy, industry and appropriate ethical conduct.
We are a strong bar in quality and quantity.
Almost every barrister in Queensland with a practising certificate is a member of the Bar Association, despite membership being voluntary and attracting subscription.
The Association has 900 private bar members, 163 government employed bar members and 213 associate members consisting of judges, retired judges and academics.
The current Bar Council enjoys a complement of well credentialed and industrious men and women. Presidential succession is assured.
The Association recently moved into commodious new premises at reasonable cost, fitting them out with the latest electronic means of servicing our information hungry decentralised and busy membership.
Proudly, we were the first bar or law association to pioneer and introduce for members, this year, a low cost and generously conditioned life and TPD scheme.
We conduct the largest annual bar conference in Australia and a high quality CPD program.
We have a reputation for assisting sensibly with submissions but if necessary taking to task the government of the day [and, Jarrod, that will include any future government] who we consider, objectively, to be acting contrary to the public interest.
We have much to be proud of.
I relinquish my role as President on the 21st November. I must confess that will involve some blessed relief on my part but I have enjoyed the ride.
I will return later this evening to briefly introduce our speakers.
See you in a while.
Christopher Hughes:
The toast to the judiciary will be delivered this evening by Christopher Laurence Hughes SC.
Following a distinguished academic career in Australia and the United Kingdom, and with his creditors and the fathers of various respectable women at his tail, Christopher was admitted in 1980. I lent him the admission fee. I think he repaid me.
Christopher took silk 10 years ago.
He is one of Queensland’s, and probably one of Australia’s leading planning and environment counsel.
He is a practical joker, and like most so described he sometimes goes over the top.
I can recall years ago my wife dropped me off at the lights near chambers and as I raced off I saw Chris with his head in the window looking at our four then smiling and attentive little daughters in the back of the vehicle.
Rosemary told me later that as she was about to pull away on the then green light he said to the girls: “One day I will tell you the name of your real father”.
I still haven’t sent him the bill for all psychological counselling the children required.
I ask you to welcome Christopher Hughes SC.
…
Justice Chesterman:
Justice Richard Noel Chesterman AO RFD was admitted in 1968 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1983.
In 1998 he was sworn a judge of the Trial Division of the Supreme Court in 1998 and in 2008 was elevated to the Appellate Division.
In the Queen’s Birthday honours list this year his Honour was awarded the Order of Australia, the award particulars reading:
For distinguished service to the judiciary as a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland and to the community, particularly through contributions to the Cancer Council at national and state levels.
He is chairman of the State Cancer Council.
Of his Honour’s many life experiences, one which always resonated with me was that of him being a young lawyer travelling from Australia on an Italian cruise liner bound for passage through the Panama Canal. The engines broke down and the liner was adrift for five days awaiting tow. Social order among passengers and crew also then broke down leading, among other things, to the suicide of the ship’s captain.
These days the rest of us can undertake a generally safe aeroplane journey to travel overseas.
I invite Justice Chesterman to respond, for the judiciary, to Christopher’s toast.
Conclusion:
That concludes the formal part of this evening.
Two people I should mention before rising, and it will embarrass them, are Dan O’Connor and Peter Roney SC.
Dan, our go-to man of the Association, is celebrating (and I say euphorically) 17 years as our CEO.
Thanks Dan for your industry, company and perseverance. Long may you reign.
Peter Roney, despite peak fitness, suffered an unusual medical misadventure earlier this year. The high-jump was close.
He is back in the saddle and is here tonight. Good to see you Peter.
Colleagues, please enjoy yourselves and stay at least until asked to leave.
Thank you for attending. 
