A spike in criminal cases in Queensland has prompted the state’s top judges to plead for urgent government funding, saying they will be unable to cope with the criminal backlog.
Figures show the number of criminal cases in the Supreme Court have more than doubled in the past three years in Queensland.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Catherine Holmes said an increase in police had boosted the number of criminal charges being brought, but judges needed greater resources to deal with the extra offenders.
She used the court’s annual Christmas greetings to directly address acting Attorney-General Anthony Lynham and plead for additional funds.
“It’s been a hard year for the judges of this court, with the prospect of it getting harder next year, and an increasing need for more resources,” she said.
“The pattern for criminal filings is on a seemingly inextricable trajectory upwards. It has doubled over the last three financial years and there is no reason at all to suppose the rate of acceleration would slow.”
The Supreme Court annual report presented to State Parliament this week showed a huge rise in criminal cases, up from 839 three years ago to 1712 in the past financial year.
Chief Judge Kerry O’Brien last week warned that Queensland district courts were the “busiest in 60 years” and were struggling to keep up with the spike in filings.
Justice Holmes said there was a clearance rate of 86.7 per cent, a slight decrease – which she expected to continue, given the rise in cases – with the court finalising 14,080 criminal matters in total in the financial year.
Dr Lynham yesterday appointed barrister Susan Brown, QC, as a judge of the Supreme Court to replace retired Justice Peter Lyons.
A spokesman for Dr Lynham said the Government was “committed to ensuring the court system has the resources it needs to deliver justice in an effective and responsive fashion’’.