Charles Wanstall

Sir Charles Gray Wanstall (17 February 1912 – 17 October 1999) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. He was also the Chief Justice of Queensland.

Early life Wanstall was born in Brisbane, Queensland in the family of bank officer Ernest William Wanstall and his wife Emma (née Boyce).

Career He attended night school and studied Law with the Bar Board (Formal Education – Barristers Board Queensland) to become a Barrister (Barrister-at-Law) and having completed the Bar board requirements in 1933 and was admitted as a Barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland.

After working for the Crown Law Office from 1933 to 1935 he started his own civil law practice in 1936 and was admitted to practice before the High Court of Australia in 1942. Wanstall not only practised in civil law, he practiced broadly including in criminal law. An example of his criminal law practice was when he was called to the represent his old school mate a local Gympie butcher from Gympie, who was charged with cattle rustling (stealing cattle), and such case Wanstall convincingly had his old school mate, acquitted. He practiced from Bank of New South Wales Chambers, cnr. Queen and George Streets Brisbane. Wanstall was made a QC in 1956 and was then a judge of the Queensland Supreme Court from 1958 to 1982. By 1971 he was the Senior Puisne judge and in 1977 was promoted to Chief Justice of Queensland, holding the position until his compulsory retirement at the age of 70 in 1982. He held the seat for six years and retired from politics in 1950. and together had one daughter. At his funeral the then Chief Justice of Queensland, Paul de Jersey, gave the eulogy.