Swearing-in of His Honour Judge Baulch SC

The President of the Bar Association of Queensland, Mr R.J. Douglas of Senior Counsel has asked me as a regional representative on the Council of the Bar Association to represent him and the Association today.

On behalf of the members of the Bar Association of Queensland I welcome Your Honour’s appointment and recognise that you are a worthy appointee to this Court.

Mr. Douglas and the Council are deeply committed to the Bar in regional Queensland.

Your Honour was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Tasmania 1969. After a period of time working in Tasmania and then in Papua New Guinea Your Honour came to Townsville to work as a Solicitor in 1974.

You Honour’s last call to the Bar was in 1977.

In your thirty-three years of practice as a Barrister, you have attained a wide experience over many areas of the Law.

Despite your busy practice as a Barrister you served as Chair of the Patient Review Tribunal (Northern Region) from 1992 to 2002, as a Member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal in 2002 and as a Member of the Misconduct Tribunal.

Your Honour has a reputation for thorough analysis of the Law.

Your Honour’s learning in the Law was recognised in 1998 when you were appointed Senior Counsel.

You have served as President of the North Queensland Bar Association and have been a regional representative on Council of the Bar Association.

Your Honour brings to this Court a commitment to advocacy and you have been involved in Advocacy training through the Australian Advocacy Institute for many years.

Yours is the ninety-first appointment to the District Court since its re-constitution in 1959.

It is pertinent to note that Your Honour is the ninth District Court Judge to be appointed to the Bench from practice in Townsville. With a degree of pride we at the Townsville Bar also claim a further five Judges of the District Court as our own due their practice here in their formative years.

Your Honour’s appointment is a further recognition of a robust and capable Bar in Regional Queensland.

The Bar Association of Queensland thanks you for your service to the Association, wishes you well and we look forward to working with you in your new role as a Judge of the District Court.

Tony Collins