Walter Sofronoff

Walter Sofronoff is the President of the Queensland Court of Appeal (2017–) and was the Solicitor-General of Queensland from 2005 to 2014.

The Honourable Justice Walter Sofronoff
President of the Queensland Court of Appeal
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 April 2017
Preceded by	Margaret McMurdo
Solicitor-General of Queensland
In office 17 February 2005 – 13 March 2014
Preceded by	Patrick Keane QC
Succeeded by	Peter Dunning QC
Personal details
Nationality	Australian
Education	Anglican Church Grammar School University of Queensland

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, Peter Dunning 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

1. Mason, James (2011). Churchie: The Centenary Register. Anglican Church Grammar School. ISBN 978-0-646-55807-3.
2. "The Honourable Justice Walter Sofronoff". Supreme Court Library of Queensland. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
3. Caldwell, Felicity. "Walter Sofronoff becomes new president of the Court of Appeal". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
4. Robertson, Joshua. "Queensland government billed just $327 by Baden-Clay appeal barrister". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
5. Kos, Andrew. "Walter Sofronoff appointed to head Queensland Court of Appeal". ABC News. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
6. "Welcome ceremony for the Honourable Walter Sofronoff as the President of the Court of Appeal" (PDF). Retrieved 3 February 2018.