Walter Sofronoff
Walter Sofronoff | |
---|---|
President of the Queensland Court of Appeal | |
Assumed office 3 April 2017 | |
Preceded by | Margaret McMurdo |
In office 17 February 2005 – 13 March 2014 | |
Preceded by | Patrick Keane QC |
Succeeded by | QC |
Personal details | |
Nationality | Australian |
Education | Anglican Church Grammar School University of Queensland |
Walter Sofronoff is the President of the Queensland Court of Appeal (2017–) and was the from 2005 to 2014.
Early life and education[]
Sofronoff attended the Anglican Church Grammar School in Brisbane,[1] and completed a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at the University of Queensland in 1976.[2]
Career[]
Sofronoff was called to the Bar in 1977 and took silk in 1988.[2]
He served as a member (1980–82), vice-president (1992–94) and president (1994–96) of the Bar Association of Queensland Committee.[2] He has also been a member of the Queensland Incorporated Council of Law Reporting (1999–2004), president of the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Tribunal (2001–05), a member of the Royal Australian Navy Reserve (2003–2014) and a member of The University of Queensland Law School Advisory Board (2014–).[2] In 1999, Justice Sofronoff was an adjunct professor of law at The University of Queensland.[2]
Solicitor-General of Queensland[]
Sofronoff served as Queensland's solicitor-general from 2005 to 2014.[2] He was involved in a number of high-profile cases, including those involving surgeon Jayant Patel and the Aurukun Nine, nine men convicted of the gang rape of a 10-year-old girl in far north Queensland.[3] He resigned as solicitor-general in 2014 amid tensions between the Newman government and the legal fraternity that resulted from the appointment of Tim Carmody as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland.[4]
In 2016, Sofronoff was responsible for the successful High Court appeal that overturned the Queensland Court of Appeal's decision to downgrade Gerard Baden-Clay's murder conviction to manslaughter.[4] Although it is normal practice for a sitting solicitor-general to lead High Court appeals, Sofronoff was briefed to appear instead of his successor and solicitor-general at the time, QC.[4] After the appeal, it was reported by The Guardian Australia that Sofronoff had charged the Queensland government just $327 plus GST to run the appeal, "despite a QC of Sofronoff's standing usually commanding fees of up to $17,000 a day".[4]
President of the Queensland Court of Appeal[]
He was appointed President of the Queensland Court of Appeal on 3 April 2017,[2] after President Margaret McMurdo resigned after more than 18 years as a justice of the Court of Appeal.[5]
Personal life[]
Sofronoff is married. He has three children and one daughter-in-law.[6]
References[]
- ^ Mason, James (2011). Churchie: The Centenary Register. Anglican Church Grammar School. ISBN 978-0-646-55807-3.
- ^ a b c d e f g "The Honourable Justice Walter Sofronoff". Supreme Court Library of Queensland. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ Caldwell, Felicity. "Walter Sofronoff becomes new president of the Court of Appeal". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ a b c d Robertson, Joshua. "Queensland government billed just $327 by Baden-Clay appeal barrister". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ Kos, Andrew. "Walter Sofronoff appointed to head Queensland Court of Appeal". ABC News. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ "Welcome ceremony for the Honourable Walter Sofronoff as the President of the Court of Appeal" (PDF). Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- Judges of the Supreme Court of Queensland
- Solicitors-General of Queensland
- University of Queensland alumni
- Australian Queen's Counsel
- Australian barristers
- Living people