Six members of the judiciary with strong ties to the solicitors’ branch of the profession were recognised with Queensland Law Society Honorary Memberships at the 2026 President’s Dinner in Brisbane on Friday.
CEO Matt Dunn told the audience that the Society would this year recognise 16 Honorary Memberships to individuals, including to a former President’s Medal recipient, who met one of two criteria,
“Honorary membership of Queensland Law Society is a distinguished honour,” Mr Dunn said.
“The first is that they have provided dedicated and committed 50 years of service as solicitors, as members of the Society.
“These honorary members will receive their special recognitions at our events, regional events, around the state during the course of the year with our 25 and 50-year pins.
“Secondly, individuals can be nominated to the Council as having made a significant contribution to the legal profession in Queensland and these are the honorary members that we will recognise tonight.
“In this merit category, we have six honorary members that will be awarded this year, three of whom are in attendance tonight, so we are very lucky.
“Each of the following honorary members will have made a very valuable contribution to the legal profession and the communities that they serve.”
For outstanding service to the profession, Honorary Memberships were presented on the night by new President Peter Jolly to His Honour Judge Glen Cranny, Her Honour Judge Tuskeen Jacobs and His Honour Judge Christopher Kahler.
The other recipients are Magistrates Jessica Keir, Peter Kuskie and Deborah Mitchell.
Her Honour Judge Tuskeen Jacobs, Federal Circuit and the Family Court of Australia:
Judge Jacobs graduated from the James Cook University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1997 and Bachelor of Laws in 2001. She was admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2002.
Her Honour’s legal career started in 2001 as an artwork clerk in the family law practice of Roberts, Nehmer McKee in Townsville, and since then, Her Honour has accumulated more than 20 years of experience in practising exclusively in family law.
Before her appointment to the bench in 2024, Her Honour was an Accredited Family Law Specialist and a Partner at Rostron Carlyle, where she led the family law department, and since 2017, Her Honour has been repeatedly recognised as a Recommended Family Lawyer in the Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession.
Her Honour’s commitment to serving the community is demonstrated by her service as a reservist to the Australian Army. Her Honour has also served as a Board Member of Relationships Australia Brisbane and for many years volunteered as a Lifeline Crisis Counsellor.
His Honour Judge Glen Cranny, District Court of Queensland:
His Honour Judge Cranny graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws in 1982.
His legal career started in 1993 as an article clerk at the Brisbane-based law firm Gilshenan & Luton and in 2000 he became the Managing Director of Gilshenan & Luton specialising in criminal and administrative law.
From 2008 to 2014, Judge Cranny served as the Chair of the Queensland Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee and was a member of the Society’s inaugural Criminal Law Services Accreditation Committee.
In 2010, His Honour was appointed Senior Counsellor of the Queensland Law Society and also served on panels assisting both Society and the Queensland Bar Association with professional conduct matters.
In 2019, Judge Cranny was awarded the Queensland Law Society President’s Medal.
Judge Cranny’s commitment to law reform saw further service when he was appointed as a member of the Queensland Law Reform Commission in 2023, and in December 2025, His Honour was appointed as Judge of the District Court.
His Honour Judge Christopher Kahler, District Court of Queensland:
His Honour Judge Kahler is a graduate of James Cook University, attaining a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws in 2004. After completing a two-year articles of clerkship with Vandeleur and Todd Solicitors in Innisfail, Judge Kayler was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2005, Supreme Court of the ACT in 2005 and the High Court in 2006.
His Honour worked in private practice for law firms in Cairns and Innisfail before opening his own law firm, Kahler Lawyers in 2016, practising predominantly in criminal defence litigation and personal injuries law.
Judge Kahler was formerly a board member of the President of the Warrina Aged Care Innisfail and a board member of FNQ Volunteers Cairns.
His Honour has acted in an honorary capacity as advisor to the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of North Queensland since 2018.
Judge Kahler was a committee member of the Far North Queensland District Law Association and a presenter of continuing professional development events.
In 2023, Judge Kahler was elected as a Queensland Law Society Councillor, a position he held until his appointment as Judge of the District Court of Queensland on 5 May 2025.
Mr Dunn congratulated all this year’s Honorary Members saying, “You continue to set the standard for our profession.
“Over the many decades, your work has strengthened both the legal community and the communities that you serve. Tonight, we celebrate that commitment.
“We also acknowledge the families and the loved ones who’ve really supported them through their long and very distinguished careers.”
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