Swearing-in of Land Court Members

The speech of Richard Douglas S.C., President of the Association, on 19 April 2010 in the Banco Court on the occasion of the swearing-in of Mr Wayne Cochrane, Mr Bill Isdale, Mr Stephen Keim S.C. and Ms Jean Dalton S.C. as Members of the Land Court is reproduced below.

The Bar Association joins in welcoming the meritorious appointment of your Honours as members of this busy court.

Your Honour Mr Cochrane is well known, and highly regarded, in the ranks of the Bar. Since admission, in 1989, you practised almost exclusively in land and property litigation, often in this court or the Planning and Environment Court.

Among other career highlights you were counsel assisting the Commissioner, Mr Tony Fitzgerald QC, on the Commission of Inquiry into the Future Management of Fraser Island.

You were also elected to and served for several years on the Bar Council. The Association thanks you for that service.

Your bar and chamber colleagues will miss your regular company.

Your Honour has enjoyed a full life experience which fitted you well to life in the law and in turn on this Court.

Your early life, you have permitted me to say, was attended with some difficulty. In your childhood, for some significant time, you were a ward of the State. Your family circumstances ultimately righted themselves.

You were then educated at Harristown State High and subsequently gained bachelor degrees in Economics and Education, and a Master’s degree in Master of Science. You obtained your Barristers’ Board qualification with Second Class Honours. I am reliably informed that no person has ever gained First Class Honours.

Your Honour served as associate to Judge Tom Quirk. It is fair to say he was your mentor. He is here today.

Your Honour was a teacher for 17 years. For 14 of those years you served at the Brisbane Boys Grammar School where you were appointed head teacher at the middle school. When you came to the Bar you found a number of your senior colleagues were your former pupils.

I note also your Honour is one of those annoying and loud Saturday morning cyclists.

Your Honour Mr Isdale comes to this court also with an impressive pedigree.

Immediately following completion of your education by the Christian Brothers at St Columban’s College at Albion, you took up employment with the Justice Department, working mostly in the Corporate Affairs Department. Contemporaneously you undertook your law studies at University of Queensland, ultimately leading to admission as a barrister in 1980.

After several years work at the Public Trustee you took up in Crown Law in prosecutions and as a legal officer. Your colleagues speak highly of your skills and dedication.

You have appeared in all courts at trial and appellate level, including in the High Court.
Your first appearance in this Court was in 1983. I am reliably informed that your Honour, since then, has appeared before every member of this Court.

Your Honour, like Mr Cochrane, has a wide experience of life. You and your wife Anne have four children, including triplets who, this year, commenced their studies at Queensland University.

Your Honours members Keim and Dalton, we also thank you for your important ongoing service as part-time members of this Court.

Your Honours, we congratulate each of you on your appointment. We wish you well in your future endeavours in this demanding jurisdiction. We thank the Attorney-General for the effective consultation which obtained in respect of your appointment.

Justice White, although a formal ceremony is to ensue, I also take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment, last week, as a judge of the Appeal Division of the Supreme Court. The Association welcomes your appointment.