The members and staff of Level Twenty Seven Chambers congratulate Shane Doyle KC on his appointment as a judge of the Court of Appeal in Brisbane and Christopher Johnstone KC as a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland and as the Northern Judge to be based in Townsville. Both appointments are effective 28 July 2025.
Shane came to the Queensland Bar in 1987, took Silk in 1995 and was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 2001. Experienced in a range of commercial litigation, arbitration, regulatory investigations and pricing reviews, and various Commissions, Shane developed a formidable reputation as one of Australia’s leading silks, appearing in some of the most significant cases in these areas. He served as President of the Bar Association of Queensland 2014-2015 and has been Head of Chambers and a director of Level Twenty Seven Chambers for many years.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Christopher worked as a solicitor with Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Clayton Utz in Sydney and with Clifford Chance LLP in London and the Middle East. He was called to the Bar in 2007 and took Silk in 2024, practising primarily in large commercial and corporate disputes. He has appeared in trials and appeals in the Supreme Courts of Queensland and New South Wales, and the Federal Court of Australia, as well as the High Court and Court of Appeal of Solomon Islands. He was appointed as a foundation member of the National Sports Tribunal. He served as an Officer in the RAAF, appearing in military tribunals (including courts-martial) and inquiries and has deployed on active service to the Middle East including operational service in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Queensland Government’s media statement is available here.