Martin Daubney

Level 17 Chambers - Mediation

Profile

Martin Daubney views his current practice as a mediator as a natural extension to an already full career in law.

He was admitted as a barrister in Queensland in 1988 and appointed Senior Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2000. As a barrister, he practised principally in commercial and insurance law.

He also developed and maintained a significant practice as a mediator, particularly in commercial disputes.

From July 2007 until 31 December 2021, he served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland. He was also President of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal for four years from October 2017.

Since retiring from the Supreme Court, he has returned to practise almost exclusively as a mediator in civil and commercial disputes of all varieties and complexity.

When asked about his approach to mediation, he says that he doesn’t regard himself as a mere facilitator or messenger for competing offers.

“My role is to actively assist the parties themselves to take control and decide how a dispute is to be resolved, rather than handing it over to a third party (a judge) to impose an outcome on them.”

He considers that his years as a legal advocate for parties and then as a judicial decision maker have equipped him well for his current work as a mediator.