Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal President and veteran Supreme Court Justice Martin Daubney AM today announced that he would step down later this year after more more than 14 years on the Bench.
Justice Daubney’s decision to resign came as the Australian Catholic University (ACU) announced that his Honour would become its fifth Chancellor from 1 January 2022.
ACU Corporation President and Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane the Most Reverent Mark Coleridge BA DSS said in a statement obtained by QLS Proctor that the elevation of a prominent Queensland identity – such as Justice Daubney – as Chancellor demonstrated the university’s true “national character”.
Justice Daubney, 60, is a well-known and popular member of the Australian legal community after a Queensland legal career of almost 35 years.
He was admitted as a solicitor in April 1987, admitted to the Bar in 1998 and took silk in 2000. He was appointed a judge of the Queensland Supreme Court in July 2007 and QCAT President in 2017.
Justice Daubney became a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the law, and to the judiciary, education and the community. His Honour was also Chair of a 2005 Royal Commission into Queensland thoroughbred racing which was charged with investigating allegations that bookmakers offered artificially inflated betting odds on races held in Queensland.
“This appointment is a great honour,” Justice Daubney said. “I thank the Corporation for entrusting me with the responsibility to serve as Chancellor of this unique national institution, which is firmly grounded in 2000 years of Catholic intellectual tradition and the Church’s engagement in university education for a millennium.
“ACU’s core commitments to the pursuit of knowledge, the dignity of the human person and the common good resonate for all Australians.”
Justice Daubney’s resignation from the Queensland Supreme Court will take effect from 31 December and his presidency of QCAT from 19 November.
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