Former Queensland Governor Paul de Jersey is the new Chair of the Legal Aid Queensland Board.
State Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said Mr de Jersey would succeed Margaret McMurdo, who has served in the position since May, 2017.
Attorney-General Frecklington said Mr de Jersey served as the state’s 26th Governor between 2014 and 2021 and was appointed a Supreme Court judge in 1985, aged just 36.
She said other significant appointments included President of the Queensland Industrial Court between 1996 and 1997, and Chair of the Law Reform Commission of Queensland from 1996 to 1997.
“Mr de Jersey became the 17th Chief Justice of Queensland in 1998 and served in that role until 2014.”
Attorney-General Frecklington said beyond the courtroom he devoted significant time to charitable and community initiatives, including as President of the Australian Cancer Society, Chair of the Queensland Cancer Fund, and Chancellor of the Brisbane Diocese of the Anglican Church.
“His extensive community involvement was recognised in 2000 when he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia.
“Mr de Jersey has demonstrated a lifetime of achievement and is one of Australia’s most eminent jurists, whose extraordinary career includes more than half a century’s experience in courts.
“With his legal acumen and community spirit, Mr de Jersey is uniquely suited to understand the challenges and needs of Queenslanders who come to rely on the remarkably wide range of services offered by Legal Aid Queensland.”
Attorney-General Frecklington said he joined the Legal Aid Queensland Board at a time when the organisation was experiencing a significant increase in demand for the service, including in regional and remote parts of the state.
Mr de Jersey said Legal Aid Queensland played a vital role in the state.
“(It provides) a significant range of services across criminal, family, and civil law, in what are often times of extreme difficulty for clients who might not otherwise have access to legal assistance,” he said.
