An audio recording of Queensland's Chief Justice Tim Carmody reportedly in an expletive-ridden tirade has been kept secret by the State Government.

The ABC applied for the smartphone recording and other documents showing the bitter relationship between Queensland's most senior judges through the Right to Information process, but was refused.

The decision-maker said release would breach the Chief Justice's privacy and risk undermining public confidence in the judiciary.

The ABC has lodged an appeal against the decision.

The recording was revealed in a story published in The Australian last month.

Justice Carmody allegedly refers to the judiciary as "scum" in a secret recording reportedly made by Justice John Byrne during a heated meeting in February.

The Chief Justice has said he would leave the job "if this is in the overall best interests of Queenslanders".

But his attempt to tie any resignation to reforms of the judicial system has been resisted by the Palaszczuk Government, which has said it was the job of State Parliament to determine how the legal system operated in Queensland.

Information released today shows how Justice Carmody's involvement in the appeal by Daniel Morcombe's convicted killer Brett Peter Cowan sparked tense exchanges with Court of Appeal president Justice Margaret McMurdo.

Justice Carmody met child protection advocate Hetty Johnston while he was still deliberating on whether Cowan should have his conviction overturned and subsequently had to withdraw from the case with his judgment overdue in any case.

Justice McMurdo has since vowed not to sit with the Chief Justice in court.

Queensland's second most powerful judge has denied the judiciary is dysfunctional, despite Justice Carmody offering to quit over differences with his colleagues.

Speaking on Monday, Justice McMurdo repeatedly defended the state's judiciary during speeches for applications for the admission of new legal practitioners.

"The public can be assured that, despite recent challenges, the judges of the trial division and the Court of Appeal have never faltered in their core work: delivering timely justice to litigants according to their judicial oaths and affirmations of office," she said.

Email exchanges reveal disharmony

The bitter disharmony in Queensland's Supreme Court has also been laid bare in an exchange of emails obtained by the ABC under Right to Information laws.

Senior judges bluntly rejected an attempt to force them to gain approval from Justice Carmody about plans relating to the publication of court proceedings.

Justice Carmody had wanted a judges committee to report to him on the issue and gain his approval for terms of reference.

But he was rebuffed and in a February 20 memo was told: "The committee was established by all the judges and will therefore report to all the judges.

"You were to chair the committee but you resigned. We will do the work of the committee as expeditiously as our judicial duties allow.

"We do not accept that we are required to propose terms of reference for your consideration and approval and to provide you with a timeline.

"We will keep you and the other judges fully informed of our progress."

Justice Carmody replied with two words: "Please yourselves."

Some documents were released to the ABC on Friday and contained a fascinating insight to the tense working environment among Justice Carmody and other judges as they considered issues including the Court of Disputed Returns and the Chief Justice's work schedule.

The documents show judges questioned why a statement published in The Australian newspaper about a Court of Disputed Returns issue apparently represented the Supreme Court.

Justice Martin Daubney wrote on February 11 this year: "The last time I looked, I am a member of the Supreme Court and I certainly did not authorise the issuing of such a statement. Nor did any of our colleagues with whom I have spoken. A clarification would be much appreciated."

Justice Margaret McMurdo was also mystified.

"I know nothing of such statement," she said in an email to Justices Byrne, Boddice and Dalton.

"It does not accord with our long-established practice with which those who practise in this area of the law are familiar. I think the statement should be corrected."

The documents also show at a meeting of February 19 this year the judges voted unanimously to "affirm the appropriateness of the existing protocol for appointing the judges who will constitute the Court of Disputed Returns".

Controversy persists in state's legal fraternity

Justice Carmody has been dogged by controversy since he started his appointment as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland and as Chief Justice of Queensland in July last year.

He was selected as Chief Justice by the former Newman government despite never having sat in the Supreme Court and after only nine months in the chief magistrate's job.

His appointment prompted the resignation of Peter Davis QC, then president of the Bar Association, who said his private consultations with attorney-general Jarrod Bleijie were leaked.

A storm of criticism quickly brewed within the Queensland legal profession and judiciary.

As a Family Court judge Justice Carmody was found by an appeals court to have cut and pasted paragraphs of a previous judgment into a subsequent ruling.

As chief magistrate Justice Carmody angered the legal profession by issuing a directive that all disputed bail applications made by alleged bikies be dealt with in one court room.

That meant he would most likely be presiding over the controversial cases.

He told newly appointed magistrates not to "meddle" with the controversial bikie laws.