About the Board of Inquiry – Mr Walter Sofronoff KC
In 1976, Mr Sofronoff KC graduated from The University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Honours).
In 1977, Mr Sofronoff KC was admitted as a barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland and commenced practice in 1978. Mr Sofronoff was appointed King’s Counsel in 1988.
Mr Sofronoff KC served as vice president (1992-94) and president (1994-96) of the Bar Association of the Queensland Committee. He was president of the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Tribunal from 2001 to 2005.
From 2005 to 2014, Mr Sofronoff KC served as Queensland’s Solicitor-General.
In 2015, Mr Sofronoff KC was appointed Commissioner of the Grantham Floods Commission of Inquiry and in 2016 led a review of the parole system in Queensland.
In 2017, Mr Sofronoff KC was appointed Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland, Justice of the Court of Appeal of Queensland and President of the Queensland Court of Appeal. Mr Sofronoff KC retired in May 2022.
In 2019, Mr Sofronoff KC was appointed as Acting Justice of the Court of Appeal of Western Australia.
In 2021, Mr Sofronoff was appointed a member of the Anti-Doping Commission of the Federation Internationale de I’Automobile, which is the governing body of international motorsport and the Anti-Doping Commission. In 2022, Mr Sofronoff KC was elected as member of the panel of the International Court of Appeal of the Federation International de I’Automobile, which hears appeals by participants in international motorsport events.
From June to December 2022, Mr Sofronoff KC conducted the Commission of Inquiry in Forensic DNA Testing in Queensland.
Counsel Assisting
The Board of Inquiry is assisted by Ms Erin Longbottom KC, Mr Joshua Jones and Ms Eleanor Lynch as Counsel Assisting the Board of Inquiry.
Ms Erin Longbottom KC was called to the bar in 2003 and appointed King’s Counsel in 2019.
Mr Joshua Jones was called to the bar in 2011.
Ms Eleanor Lynch was called to the bar in 2022.
Further information about the Inquiries Act 1991 and a Board of Inquiry’s powers
The Inquiries Act 1991 allows a Board of Inquiry to do all things necessary to make and complete the Inquiry. This includes powers to:
- do whatever it considers necessary of convenient for the fair and prompt conduct of the inquiry (section 18(c));
- issue a search warrant for a thing of a particular kind connected with a matter into which the board is inquiring (section 20(1));
- require a person to appear before the board at a hearing to give evidence (section 26(1)(a)); and
- require a person to produce a stated document or other thing relevant to a hearing (section 26(1)(b)).
These powers override any other legislative provisions or confidentiality agreements.
If issued with a requirement by a Board of Inquiry, you must comply with the requirement. Statements made by witnesses cannot be used against them in civil or criminal proceedings. A person subpoenaed to attend or appear before a board as a witness has the same protection and is subject to the same liabilities as a witness in Supreme Court proceedings.
A Board of Inquiry is not bound by the rules of evidence but may inform itself of anything in the way it considers appropriate. The Inquiry must comply with the rules of natural justice.
The Inquiry can prohibit the publication of evidence, and anyone who gains access to confidential information for the purposes of the inquiry must not disclose the information or given access to that information to anyone without consent or unless required by law.