Patricia (Patsy) Mary Wolfe (née Josephson) is a retired Australian lawyer and judge. She was Chief Judge of the

District Court of Queensland The District Court of Queensland (QDC) is the second tier in the court hierarchy of Queensland, Australia. The Court deals with serious criminal offences such as rape, armed robbery and fraud. Juries are used to decide if defendants are guilty ...

between 1999 and 2014, the first woman to hold the position.

Biography

Wolfe initially studied medicine, although did not complete a degree, and also worked as a journalist at

The Courier-Mail ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, ...

newspaper in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

. She married, and while raising four children, attended the

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

, completing a Bachelor of Arts in 1974, a bachelor of law in 1978, and a master of law in 1983. In 1978 she was admitted to the Bar and in the following year joined the university's Faculty of Law as a senior tutor while also studying for her master's degree. In 1988-89 she served as deputy commissioner of the

Fitzgerald Inquiry The Commission of Inquiry into Possible Illegal Activities and Associated Police Misconduct (the Fitzgerald Inquiry; 1987–1989) into Queensland Police corruption was a judicial inquiry presided over by Tony Fitzgerald QC. The inquiry resulted ...

into police corruption, and was also a commissioner on the

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission The Australian Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution of Australia, established in 1986 as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and renamed in 2008. It is a statutory body funded by, but opera ...

from 1993 to 95. In 1992 she was chair of the Queensland Women's Consultative Committee. In 1995 she was appointed to the District Court of Queensland, and in 1999 she became Chief Judge of the District Court as well as a judge in the Planning and Environment Court. In 2014 Wolfe was appointed an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for her service to the judiciary and to the law and as a mentor for women. She retired from her position as judge the same year.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolfe, Patsy Living people 20th-century Australian judges Officers of the Order of Australia University of Queensland alumni University of Queensland faculty Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century Australian judges Judges of the District Court of Queensland