Despite flooding, temperamental lifts and air-conditioning, mould and asbestos, retiring Northern Judge His Honour Justice David North will miss the “handsome” courtroom he has presided over for more than a decade.
The Supreme Court of Queensland today marked the retirement of the Honourable Justice North, who was sworn in on 20 July 2011 in the very same building – the Edmund Sheppard Building, as where his valedictory ceremony in North Queensland was held.
While reflecting on the vastness of the Northern Region, from Ingham in the north and Bowen to the south, into the Gulf country, including the islands, west to Mount Isa and south-west to Birdsville, Justice North said attention was focused on the courthouse in Townsville and “specifically this handsome courtroom”.
“The notable trials conducted in the Northern Region during the time I have sat have not always been conducted here,” he said.
“I remember lengthy homicide trials conducted in Mount Isa involving events on Mornington Island and again in Mount Isa, and on one occasion events south-west to Urandangi.
“It has been an honour to preside at trials in this imposing courtroom. In fact, the courthouse as a whole is imposing, but the pleasure is not all upside, as has been mentioned this morning.
“The courthouse is chronically bedevilled by water ingress and, in the wet season, mould. The air conditioning fails from time to time – seasonally, not always in summer, but sometimes in winter. And until recently, the lifts in this complex chronically failed.
“Wet seasons pose a problem from time to time. Flooding rains and torrential cyclones have forced the abandonment of trials and even the closing of the registry. But perhaps the most notable event was the closure of the courthouse when asbestos was found in the courtrooms and registry. This forced the transfer of trials to the courthouse in Cairns. So the work of the court went on notwithstanding.”
Justice North noted had benefited from the support of registry officers, past and present, Associates, and his personal assistant.
“The efficient functioning of the Court relies on the hard‑working judges appointed to it, supported by a vigilant registry, including bailiffs and security personnel. But there is more. A competent and vigorous profession is vital,” His Honour said.
“Counsel in the Northern Region has reason to be proud of most of its profession, which engages with the court on a daily basis, but also through their representative organisations such as the Bar Association of Queensland, the North Queensland Bar Association, the Law Society of Queensland, and the Regional Council District Law Association.”
His Honour also mentioned “one important fixture in the annual calendar” – the North Queensland Law Association’s annual conference.
“The profession benefits from the conference and the occasional seminar, but in turn, the profession can draw strength from the law school at James Cook University,” he said.
“Many people – perhaps most of the barristers and solicitors who regularly appeared before me – studied at James Cook University. I have had the pleasure of participating in the university’s conferences, seminars, and some subject presentations, such as advocacy and the criminal sentencing course.”
Justice North said he did not regret his “legislatively forced retirement. It is required by legislation. That was enforced when I accepted the offer of the Commission” and had given thought to valedictory speech.
“In contemplating what I might say on this occasion, I tried hard to resist the temptation to offer any wisdoms. But there are two small statistical features that I think are worthy of remark,” he said.
“One of the duties I’ve enjoyed as a Northern Judge is presiding at admission ceremonies here in Townsville. In the years since my appointment in 2011 up until December last year, some 578 emerging young lawyers have been admitted to the profession,” he said.
“Of that number, 68 per cent – 393 – were women. That demonstrates that female admittees outnumbered males by two to one. If not already the case, this trend will result in a profession dominated by women in the foreseeable future.
“What this means for the profession and the oft‑cited rule of law is perhaps uncertain, and I won’t offer any opinion about that on this occasion. But it should be noted that the courts of this nation are already replete with women who carry out their duties in both an orthodox manner and to the highest standard. There are two resplendent examples of that on the bench with me today.”
The second matter was the increase in workload during his tenure and the scourge of methamphetamine.
In 2011, 102 criminal matters were lodged in the Townsville registry. These figures included indictments and breach matters. By 2017, the annual figure was 202, and by 2018, 229. In the period from 2019 to 2025, the figures dropped off slightly, but in 2021 there were 216 lodgements.
“These figures demonstrate that in the criminal jurisdiction, lodgements have increased since 2011 by somewhere between 50 and 100 per cent. The same can be said of the civil proceedings lodged in the registry here in Townsville over the period from 1 January 2011 to 31 October 2025,” His Honour said.
“Focusing on the criminal jurisdiction, the increase in lodgements can, I believe, be attributed to the effects of methamphetamine, which is a scourge in our community. In the form of ice, crystal methamphetamine was not nearly as prevalent when I was appointed. Because the drug is so addictive, it challenges even the strongly motivated candidate for rehabilitation. Recidivism rates are high, leading to frequent re‑offending whilst on parole.
“Notwithstanding that life imprisonment is now the maximum penalty for trafficking in drugs such as methamphetamine, addicted persons offend and re‑offend. My assertion that methamphetamine is attributable to much of the increase in the workload of this court is supported by one example that occurred on the indictment presentations here in this courtroom a week or so ago.
“Thirteen new indictments were presented alleging serious offending within the jurisdiction of the court. Of them, 12 concerned trafficking or offending involving methamphetamine or other drugs.
“One of the features of the work of the court that I will not miss is sentencing those who have become addicted to dangerous drugs.”
Justice North, the first Northern Judge to be sworn in at Townsville, and the 12th Northern Judge, said time had flown by.
“The 14 or so years of my appointment have passed quickly. Much of my sitting time has been spent presiding in this handsome courtroom,” His Honour said.
“Thus history and more or less notable events have passed by.
“I’ve participated during my tenure in the celebration of the 40‑year anniversary of the Edmund Sheppard Complex, the 50‑year anniversary of the Edmund Sheppard Complex, and the 150‑year anniversary of the establishment of the court in North Queensland.
“The future is now for others.”
Winding back the clock
Her Honour Chief Justice Bowskill said it was fitting to say farewell to His Honour in Townsville.
“If we wind back the clock to the beginning of his legal career, Justice North was admitted as a barrister in December 1979 at the ripe old age of 23. He worked for two years in a solicitor’s firm before going to the bar at the beginning of 1982,” Her Honour said.
“His Honour practised as a barrister for some 29 years, 15 of those as a silk, before being appointed to this court.
“In that time, His Honour made a significant contribution to the profession and to the administration of justice, including through his long service as a member and then Chair of the Incorporated Counsel for Law Reporting for Queensland.
“At the time of His Honour’s appointment, Justice North enjoyed an excellent reputation as a skilled mediator, an expert in another form of dispute resolution.
“As a judge, he has resolved in another way a broad range of disputes, hearing many civil cases and appeals and presiding over even more complex criminal trials and sentences.
“He has contributed a sharp intellect and deep understanding of the law born of long experience to the work of this court in all its many aspects.”
Chief Justice Bowskill said the Supreme Court of Queensland was divided into four regions – the Far Northern, the Northern, the Central and the Southern.
“It just so happens the Southern Region is where the majority of the judges are based,” Her Honour said.
“To be the judge appointed as the judge for one of the other regions, like the Northern Judge, carries additional responsibilities and burdens, because you are responsible for the orderly and expeditious exercise within your region of the jurisdiction of the court in its trial division.
“And there can be a greater degree of isolation, although occasions such as this remind us of the important connection between us all.
“But of course, there are significant benefits also, not the least of which is the special sense of collegiality and warmth, which is generously shared within the legal profession here, of which I know Justice North has been the grateful beneficiary.
“His Honour made his home in Townsville following his appointment and has embraced the community here.”
The Chief Justice, on behalf of all the judges, thanked Justice North for “his contribution to the court, for his companionship and collegiality”.
“On the occasion of Justice North swearing in, the Deputy Premier and Attorney General, the Honourable Paul Lucas, MP, spoke of Justice North keeping the office of Northern Judge in his care for the time that he occupied it,” Her Honour said.
“As that time draws to an end, Justice North hands that care over to Justice Johnstone, who from tomorrow will take up the position as the 13th Northern Judge.
“Justice Johnstone has already been warmly welcomed by the legal community here, as he has been sitting effectively on circuit for much of the time since his appointment in July last year.
“Justice Johnstone is committed to serving the Northern Region as its resident judge, with the support of all of the judges of this court, and I know he will take good care of this important office.
“We express our gratitude to the members of the Townsville legal profession for their support for the institution of the court and their contribution to the administration of justice.
“This is a region that continues to demonstrate excellence in every field, the Cowboys’ decisive victory last night being another example.”
Unwavering commitment to justice
Queensland Law Society President Peter Jolly said Justice North was a “jurist whose distinguished career has been marked by exceptional and eligible depth, steadfast principle and an unwavering devotion to the fair administration of justice”.
“Your Honour’s journey through the law has been both pioneering and principled,” Mr Jolly said.
“Starting your working life at the venerable firm of Tully and Wilson in Brisbane, Your Honour commenced practice as a barrister in January 1982 and was appointed senior counsel on 18 December 1996.
“On your appointment to this court in 2011 as the 110th Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland, Your Honour became the 12th Northern Judge and continued a long line of distinguished judges to hold that important position.
“On appointment, Your Honour chose not only to sit in the North, but to live here, immersing yourself fully in the community Your Honour serves.”
Mr Jolly said over more than 14 years, Your Honour had “become a pillar of justice in the region – measured and empathetic in demeanour, unfailingly courteous, and steadfast in your dedication to ensuring that justice was both done and seen to be done”.
“For many practitioners, including fellow alumni of Your Honour’s Brisbane school, appearing before Your Honour was an experience marked by clarity, respect, and assurance,” the President said.
“In that time, Your Honour fostered a spirit of collegiality that strengthened both bench and bar. And Your Honour extended that same generosity of time and experience to generations of law students.
“Some of the profession’s fondest recollections are of Your Honour presiding at admission ceremonies, where Your Honour’s attention to each new practitioner was personal, sincere, and encouraging.
“Your Honour’s longstanding engagement with the James Cook University Law School was similarly marked by candour and generosity. In speaking with students, even on formal occasions, Your Honour did not hesitate to share the challenges you had faced in practice.
“In doing so, Your Honour offered not merely advice, but a quiet assurance that resilience, support, and dignity can coexist within the demands of busy legal life.”
Mr Jolly said His Honour’s legacy to the court would continue in North Queensland.
“For practitioners, students, and the community alike, Your Honour stood as a reliable compass, anchoring the administration of justice with dignity and fairness that will continue to shape and guide long after your formal service concludes,” he said.
“Your Honour’s contribution to the administration of justice in the North is indelible. Your Honour will be sorely missed by the Court, by the profession, and by the community Your Honour calls home.
“As Your Honour concludes your formal tenure with the Court, we honour not only your remarkable legal expertise but the standard you have set for students of law, for the profession, and for the judiciary. Your Honour’s influence endures in the institutions you have strengthened and in the many individuals whose paths you have helped to shape.”
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