Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentiman has praised the career of Justice David Jackson, who has informed her of his intention to retire from the bench.
“Justice Jackson has proved to be one of the State’s eminent legal minds over a long period of time and his presence will be sorely missed,” Minister Fentiman said.
“His Honour has made an outstanding contribution to Queensland’s legal system across a number of areas.”
Justice Jackson was appointed a Supreme Court judge in 2012 and two years later was appointed chair of the Queensland Law Reform Commission.
“In that role Justice Jackson oversaw reviews of some of the most important legislation introduced in this State over the last decade,” Minister Fentiman said.
“They include, among others, the review of consent laws and the excuse of mistake of fact, the review of termination of pregnancy laws, a report on the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, and another on expunging criminal convictions for historical gay sex offences.”
At the same time, Justice Jackson presided over a number of high profile murder trials, from soon after he was appointed a Supreme Court judge right up until one of his final matters just months ago.
Before his appointment to the bench, His Honour practised at the bar for 35 years, 22 of those as Queen’s Counsel, where he forged a reputation as an expert in corporate commercial work and mining law.
Justice Jackson holds a special place in Queensland legal history – when appointed the bench, his judicial swearing-in ceremony was the first to take place in the Banco Court of the then-new Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law complex.
“On behalf of all Queenslanders I thank Justice Jackson for his significant contribution to the community and wish him and his family well for the future,” Minister Fentiman said.
