Retired judge to chair forensic council

Former District Court Judge Julie Dick SC has been appointed as Chair of the 11-member, Forensic Science Queensland Advisory Council.

The council will be responsible for monitoring and reviewing policies and procedures of Forensic Science Queensland (FSQ) that relate to the administration of criminal justice. It will monitor and review the delivery of forensic services.

It will provide advice directly to the Attorney-General and was a recommendation of the 2022 Commission of Inquiry into DNA Testing in Queensland.

Ms Dick has been appointed for three years. She served for more than two decades in the District Court of Queensland until her retirement in June 2022.

She was first appointed to the District Court in 2000, serving as a Judge of the Childrens Court of Queensland from 2001 and as the President of the Childrens Court of Queensland from 2007 to 2010.

She was also appointed as an acting judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland from 2011 to 2012.

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Ms Dick was co-chair of Forensic Science Queensland’s Interim Advisory Board, the precursor body to the Advisory Council.

Ms Dick brings to the advisory council a wealth of criminal law and sentencing experience from her time both as a judicial officer and before this, as Senior Counsel appearing in many high-profile criminal trials.

She is currently a judicial member of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal and a senior member of the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council.

The advisory council includes representatives from the Queensland Police Service, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and Legal Aid Queensland. These appointments initially are:

• Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd, Operations Support Command, Queensland Police Service;
• Philip McCarthy KC, Deputy Director, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions;
• Kerry Bichel, Director, Criminal Law Services, Legal Aid Queensland.

Queensland is the first Australian state to have a dedicated statutory framework governing the provision of forensic services.

Legislation also requires the council to include at least one victims’ advocate, one expert in forensic service delivery, and one member of the private legal profession.

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These appointments are:

• Catherine Crawford, Coordinator, The Women’s Centre, Townsville (victims’ advocate);
• Christopher Porter, Director of Forensic Services, Metropolitan Police Service, United Kingdom (forensic service delivery expert);
• Patrick Quinn, Director at Gilshenan & Luton Legal Practice.