New Magistrate Rhianna Lee is looking forward to her permanent dream appointment to Mount Isa and not just because of the fast food and retail shops.
The former Acting Magistrate for Townsville, Mt Isa and north-west Queensland circuit was sworn in this week along with new Southport Magistrates Nicholas Brown and Stephen Kissick in a welcome ceremony in Brisbane.
“Having the ability to act as Magistrate since May of 2024, I am beyond thrilled to firstly be appointed on a permanent basis and secondly to be appointed to the northwest region. It is a dream come true,” Magistrate Lee told the court.
Magistrate Lee’s excitement at her posting stems from her experience growing up in the northwest.
“We used to travel to Mount Isa for a yearly sports day and the yearly rock pop mime concert,” she said.
“And driving from Cloncurry to Mount Isa, as soon as I saw the red and white stack of Mount Isa mine in the distance, I would get so excited. Kmart and all you could eat Pizza Hut awaited me.
“For a country kid, the impact of these establishments cannot be understated.
“So from an early age, Mount Isa became a prominent place in my life, although fast food outlets may not be the key reason anymore.”
Magistrate Lee brings an affinity for regional and rural Queensland to the new role.
“I grew up on a cattle station outside of Julia Creek where I did Mount Isa School of the Air for primary school and my primary school teacher, mum, and one of my classmates, my sister Jessica, are here today,” she said.
“I would not have thought back then that this would be my trajectory, when our rush to finish school for the day was driven by our ability to get on our motorbikes as quickly as possible to go see what Dad was up to.
“I loved school, but I also loved being outside and working alongside my parents and my siblings.
“I was lucky enough to then work in Mount Isa, both in private practice at Anderson Telford Lawyers and at Legal Aid Queensland.
“To return to Mount Isa and be a part of the community again in this capacity is a great honour and to service the circuit courts and the gulf communities which I became so familiar to.”
Queensland Law Society President Peter Jolly told the court that Magistrate Lee’s role at a prominent criminal law firm in Townsville had laid a strong foundation for her judicial career.
“In 2010, you commenced your tenure at Legal Aid Queensland,” he said. “Your professional journey then traced the contours of our great state, guiding you through the Brisbane, Southport, Townsville, and Mount Isa offices – each place shaped by your presence, and each leaving its indelible mark upon your distinguished career.
“A regional lawyer plays a vital role in upholding access to justice by serving communities that are often geographically isolated and under‑resourced.
“Their work demands a deep understanding of local conditions, enabling them to provide legal assistance that is both responsive and genuinely attuned to regional needs. In fulfilling this role, they strengthen the fabric of the justice system by ensuring that fairness and representation extend far beyond metropolitan centres.
“Your Honour possesses an authentic understanding of the challenges faced by those living in rural and remote areas.”
Chief Magistrate Brassington said the appointment of the three new magistrates came at a very welcome time.
“The Magistrates Court has never been busier,” Her Honour said. “We convene in over 100 locations across Queensland.
“As you will hear from me, and I’m sure with other details from speakers today, each of the new magistrates, by their experience and achievements, have the qualities to uphold the law with integrity and fairness across that vast jurisdiction.”
Magistrates Kissick and Brown will both sit in the Southport court and bring much life experience to the Bench with their careers before the law.
Magistrate Brown said his journey to the legal profession took quite some time, starting out at Queensland Rail before heading overseas on leave.
“At the end of the cricket season, to fund my ongoing existence and travel plans, I did some labouring for a roofing company,” he revealed.
“It was during those times, doing at least what I considered hard labour, that I knew my efforts would be better placed using my mind holding a pen, as my skills with a roof tile were extremely limited.
“After some soul searching, I determined that law was my path. I felt like a mature-age student attending university at 23.”
Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said His Honour initially embraced the world of commerce in Brisbane’s Bayside.
“Your Honour demonstrated business acumen as general manager of two construction companies where you spearheaded strategic plans, managed corporate governance and secured major contracts,” she said.
“But a future in the law beckoned.”
Magistrate Brown was admitted as a solicitor in 2011.
“It must be said, Your Honour shouldered a heavy caseload of more than 100 files, advocating in the magistrates, districts, district, children’s and Supreme Court throughout Queensland,” the Attorney-General said.
“Despite these demands and the high-stress environment, you made it time to mentor and develop the skills and abilities of professional staff.”
His Honour then followed his “ultimate goal” of progressing to the Bar in September 2018, where he practised in criminal law matters.
Magistrate Kissick comes to the court with more than 25 years’ experience as counsel and has conducted more than 500 jury trials. Before that he was in the Queensland Police Service an served as a Police Prosector in Gympie, Gladstone and Ipswich.
He acknowledged this week’s swearing-in was his third career ceremony.
“I was sworn in as a police officer on the 18th of September, 1981,” His Honour said.
“I’d always intended to be a barrister from a very early age, but my attention to academic pursuits in my senior year was such that my TE score was short of entrance to the law.
“I applied for a business degree with the intention of progressing the law. A school friend was joining the police and told me they supported and encouraged study, so I joined up.
“I went northwest fairly quickly and found working on Mornington Island in 1982 and 1983 very rewarding.
“I saw firsthand the effects of unstructured time and boredom among young offenders.
“My sister, who is here today, was the flying doctor nurse in Mount Isa and had been a midwife for nearly all the Mornington Island children under the age of 10.
“When they discovered that I was her brother, I was elevated to the same status of reference that she had.”
The Attorney-General said Magistrate Kissick was intimately acquainted with the work of the Magistrates Court, having also served as a lawyer for three decades.
“In 1999, another career chapter began after admission to the bar, earning the James Archibald Douglas Prize for advocacy in the process,” she said.
“Your Honour commenced a distinguished career in private practice. Your Honour’s principal areas of practice have been in criminal trials, appeals and sentences, and the conduct of family law matters.
“To say that Your Honour is experienced in these matters would be an understatement.”
QLS President Jolly said the office of Magistrate called for qualities that extended well beyond technical mastery of the law.
“It requires discernment, composure, and a steadfast devotion to justice.
“Each day, Magistrates bring these attributes into the courtroom – listening with care, analysing with rigour, and deciding with integrity. Each of Your Honours has the demonstrated skills, experience and temperament for this role.”
Share this article