Ms Palaszczuk, who has shied away from commenting on the dispute, said it was beyond time it was resolved. Denise Morcombe, with husband Bruce, is "disgusted" with the fighting. Credit:Harrison Saragossi "In relation to the courts, there is separation of powers, but obviously there are serious issues down there and they need to resolve them," she said on Friday morning. "I think it is a matter for them to sort out, but I think the public would share our views that it needs to be sorted out now. "I met with the Morcombes yesterday, they have been through a lot. I think they want closure."

The emails discussed Justice McMurdo's concerns regarding Justice Carmody's meeting with leading child safety advocate Hetty Johnston ahead of the appeal of Daniel Morcombe's convicted killer Brett Peter Cowan. Hetty Johnston: "clumsy system" not in the best interests of children in care. Credit:Harrison Saragossi The meeting was publicly declared in Justice Carmody's diary and was also attended by an independent third party. Justice McMurdo initially raised the meeting's potential to impact Justice Carmody's perceived impartiality in the case via email, with the backing of the third Court of Appeal judge to hear the matter, Justice Hugh Fraser. Chief Justice Tim Carmody. Credit:Daniel Hurst

An increasingly heated exchange between Justice McMurdo and Justice Carmody ensued via email and memorandum, the Chief Justice describing any potential bias as "utterly preposterous" and telling Justice McMurdo her concerns appeared "to go beyond a mere notification of potential ethical concerns". It peaked with a clearly furious Justice McMurdo emailing a court staffer to request not to sit on a three-person judicial bench with the Chief Justice in future.

"Following an extraordnary memorandum yesterday from the Chief Justice in relation to R v Cowan, I cannot sit with him again on any court," she wrote. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is concerned by ructions within the legal community. Credit:Harrison Saragossi "Please ensure in future I am not listed to sit with the Chief Justice." The relationship further degraded when Justice Carmody decided to publicly reveal the meeting to legal counsel on both sides of the case on April 24, but listed the matter for hearing before him alone. without Justice McMurdo and Justice Fraser, who had heard the appeal in November.

It prompted another fiery email from Justice McMurdo. "The appeals have been heard by the Court of Appeal comprising Justice Fraser, you and me ... the application having been made to THE COURT must first come before THE COURT," she wrote. Following the April 24 hearing, Cowan's lawyers announced their intention to file an application to have Justice Carmody disqualified from hearing their client's appeal. On Thursday, Justice Carmody took the extraordinary step of withdrawing from the appeal hearing, saying he would not allow the court to become a "Dickensian Bleak House". In declaring his intention to publish the private email and memorandum exchanges between the three judges and the head legal counsel in the matter, Justice Carmody deflected the "robust" exchanges as par-for-the-course in the judicial process.

"The disclosed correspondence comprises of private and ordinarily confidential exchanges between judicial officers. Robust – and sometimes strongly expressed – communications are essential to the efficient administration of the court," he said. "As such remarks occur within an ostensibly confidential and private environment, a judicial officer will sometimes express his or her opinion in vigorous terms to ascertain the weaknesses in their arguments or contentions." Emails between Justice Carmody, Justice McMurdo and Justice Fraser right up until 8.30pm the night before the hearing show Justice Carmody was still considering his course of action. Denise Morcombe, who with husband Bruce have been waiting for the outcome of the appeal since November last year, took to social media to express her anger at the delays.

"Shame in the legal process, this has become [personal], this is NOT JUSTICE FOR DANIEL," she wrote. "Shame on you all. I am disgusted." With Kim Stephens Don't miss important news stories. Like us on Facebook