Queensland's Chief Justice Tim Carmody has confirmed his intention to resign, taking a parting swipe at the judges who have "made it their primary goal to force me out".
In a statement released on Monday morning, Justice Carmody confirmed newspaper reports that he would stand down, saying that he believes the move to be in the best interests of Queenslanders.
Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath says the ball is in Chief Justice Tim Carmody's court when it comes to his resignation.
Ms D'Ath confirmed Mr Carmody approached her in mid-April with an offer to resign, but she said it was not for her to decide what happened next.
The 10 months since Justice Carmody controversially ascended to the state's top judicial post have been plagued by vitriolic in-fighting among members of the state's legal fraternity.
He was appointed by the previous government's premier and attorney-general team of Campbell Newman and Jarrod Bleijie, despite the fact he had never sat on a Supreme Court bench and spent only nine months as the state's chief magistrate.
In his statement, Justice Carmody said he would stand down only if there was a round-table discussion to address the "serious cultural and structural problems within the judiciary", which he claimed had been festering long before his appointment.
"Those resistant to change and modernisation have made it their primary goal to force me out, seemingly at all costs," he said.
"I am willing to resign on just terms, not for them, not because of them, but to break the impasse we now find ourselves at.
"In mid-April, I met with the Attorney-General and informed her of my offer."
Court of Appeal president Justice Margaret McMurdo, who told court staff in publicly released correspondence she refused to sit on further hearings with Justice Carmody, said she stood by her decisions.
"All decisions I've made have been principled and based on the correct thing to do as I've perceived it, and I stand by them," she said.
The highly respected Justice McMurdo had been widely favoured to rise to the position of chief justice prior to Justice Carmody's shock appointment last July.
On Monday, she declined to be drawn on whether the current attorney-general, Yvette Dath, had discussed the role with her.
"I don't think it's appropriate we have this public discussion on these issues at this time," she said.
She also declined to comment on Justice Carmody's offer to resign.
"I don't think its appropriate I say anything that would add to this unseemly public discussion of these matters and I just repeat what I have said several times already, the court is doing what it has always done, it has never had to get on with things because it is always been working hard, making sure the cases that come before it are determined in a timely and appropriate way, according to law," she said.
Justice Carmody said he wanted his resignation to lead to reform of the judiciary leadership.
"With this gesture, I aim to bring to the judiciary, all sides of politics and appropriate legal and community leaders together to negotiate a solution for the leadership of the courts and to build shared commitment to and a clear framework for meaningful reform," he said.
"My giving up the role won't solve these problems. I offer it in the hope to refocus the conversation on the real issues.
"I am willing to do so only on just terms and if I am confident action will be taken towards the improvements Queenslanders need and expect."
Justice Carmody invited politicians and members of the legal fraternity to discuss the issues with him in the next week.
"On Friday I will present a clear vision for change and a pathway to a transparent, trustworthy, accountable 21st century court system we can all be confident in," he said.
"I deeply hope that this vision will be accompanied by a mandated, bipartisan, action plan worthy of the civil society our hard working courts strive to support every day."
EARLIER
Queensland's controversial Chief Justice Tim Carmody is reportedly poised to stand down from the role.
After just 10 months in the state's top judicial post, Mr Carmody has told The Australian he will tender his resignation to Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath to "stop the bleeding" and stem the in-fighting that has plagued the judiciary since his appointment.
Justice Carmody told the newspaper the in-fighting had become untenable and there was no prospect of improvement.
He said he told the Attorney-General of his intention to resign last month.
However, he wants to make sure his financial interests are taken care of, after only 10 months in a job that was to have lasted years.
As a condition of his departure, he also wants the new Palaszczuk government to embark on a courts reform program, including establishing a judicial commission.
"I want to find a solution and I want others to help find it," he said.
"Because this is not just about me, it's about the court. It's about the system. It needs a considered response from all sides that have the best interests of this important social institution in mind.
"I have one senior judge who won't sit with me on any cases. I have another senior judge who secretly records a conversation with me.
"That makes governance and my ability to do my job impossible."
Queensland Health Minister Cameron Dick, speaking ahead of Monday's Cabinet, said the government was considering its options.
"I think the commentary should stop, personally, and I think the action should start in the sense that people should get on with their jobs," he said.
"I think Queensland wants an effective judiciary and that's what we should have in our state. Queenslanders deserve that.
"It's something that's developing day by day but it's not appropriate for me to comment further."
Justice Carmody's ascension to the top job was met with vitriolic backlash from the legal fraternity from the beginning, with many openly expressing their outrage that the state's former Chief Magistrate, who had never sat on the Supreme Court bench, was unqualified for the role.
Tensions have escalated since.
His appointment prompted the resignation of the president of the Queensland Bar Association, Peter Davis QC, and drew criticism from former Crown solicitor Walter Sofronoff QC and former Supreme Court judge Richard Chesterman QC.
In March, retiring Justice Alan Wilson delivering a withering attack on the Chief Justice at his valedictory speech.
It also emerged Justice John Byrne secretly recorded conversations he had with Justice Carmody, in which the Chief Justice referred to other judges as "snakes".
In early May, correspondence between Justice Carmody and Court of Appeal president Justice Margaret McMurdo revealed Justice McMurdo had refused to sit with him on future hearings.
He had become embroiled in controversy over a meeting with anti-child abuse campaigner Hetty Johnston, while he was due to deliver judgment on the appeal of Daniel Morcombe's murderer Brett Peter Cowan, which prompted allegations of bias.
He sensationally withdrew from that case before the judgment was delivered.
- with Amy Remeikis
