Artificial intelligence was a recurring theme at the 2026 Central Queensland Law Association conference, which brought together the profession for two days of learning, friendship and some competitive mischief at the Golden Gavel.
More than 100 people gathered at the Rockhampton Leagues Club on 25 and 26 September, including a strong judicial presence.
Chief Justice Helen Bowskill, Justice Graeme Crow, Justice Michael Jarrett, Justice Steven Middleton and Magistrate Peter Kuskie contributed to a gathering in which regional practitioners could engage directly with members of the judiciary.
Saturday’s family law Hard Quiz, featuring Justices Jarrett and Middleton alongside Katina Kyreakou, provided a particularly lively setting for that exchange.
Friday’s Profession Dinner was a celestial feast under the stars. Framed by the dramatic sandstone of Customs House and the contemporary architecture of the Rockhampton Museum of Art, the Hummingbird Café courtyard made a memorable setting for an evening celebrating the profession and its people.
The Honourable Alexander “Sandy” Horneman-Wren SC delivered a thoughtful Toast to the Law, reflecting on the importance of law in society and through history, and giving the evening a welcome moment of reflection. Chief Justice Bowskill’s considered response was warmly received.
The case for compulsory court tracksuits received an unexpectedly thorough airing at the closing lunch of the conference, as five Golden Gavel entrants put their powers of persuasion to distinctly unconventional use.
Contestants were presented with a challenge: the fictional Queensland Judicial Attire Modernisation Commission had proposed replacing conventional court attire with a standard tracksuit. Competitors had four minutes to make the strongest possible case for the reform. Legal authorities and footnotes were prohibited, leaving wit, imagination and confidence to carry the submissions.
Larissa Zeil-Rolfe, Courtney Brown, Matt Taylor, Cameron Schroder and Chantal McNaught all delivered entertaining prepared speeches before answering questions from judges Justice Crow and CQLA President Robert Rooney.
The questioning gave each entrant a chance to show that their humour survived beyond the prepared page.
Every speech drew laughter, and all five competitors met the occasion with clever advocacy and good humour.
Ms Zeil-Rolfe of Fisher Farmer Lawyers took the honours, with Ms Brown second. Both impressed the judges and audience with witty presentations and quick responses.
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