De Jersey was educated at Anglican Church Grammar School (1961–1965) and the. He graduated with a Bachelor., Bachelor of Laws(Honours) in 1971.
He was part of the Queensland University Regiment from 1966 to 1971, and was commissioned in 1969.
From 1998 to 2014, he was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland. He practised law in Queensland and was called to the Queensland Bar in 1971. He took silk in 1981 as one of Her Majesty’s Counsel (Queen's Counsel).
At the Bar he practised in the commercial field
Appeared in constitutional cases before the High Court of Australia, and also appeared before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. He was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1985 and was the Commercial Causes Judge between 1986–1989.
He was the judge constituting the Mental Health Tribunal between 1994–1996. He was the President of the Queensland Industrial Court between 1996–1997 and was also the chairman of the Law Reform Commission of Queensland during the same period.
He was appointed Chief Justice of Queensland on 17 February 1998.
He has been the Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane since 1991. He was the Vice President of the Australian Cancer Society between 1995 to 1998 and its President between 1998 and 2001, a trustee of the National Breast Cancer Foundation between 1994 to 1999 and the Chairman of the Queensland Cancer Fund (now The Cancer Council Queensland) between 1994 and 2001. De Jersey became the 26th Governor of Queensland on 29 July 2014.
On the retirement of Alex Chernov as Governor of Victoria on 1 July 2015, de Jersey became the longest-serving Governor of an Australian state and by custom assumed the additional office of Administrator of the Commonwealth who exercises the powers of the Governor-General of Australia in the Governor-General"s absence or disability.
Honorary degrees = Honorary appointments.
21 September 1948 – 1966: Paul de Jersey 1966 – 1968: Second lieutenant Paul de Jersey 1968 – 1971: Lieutenant Paul de Jersey 1971 – 1981: Paul de Jersey 1981 – 17 February 1998: Paul de Jersey Queen's Counsel 17 February 1998 – 12 June 2000: The Honourable Chief Justice Paul de Jersey Queen's Counsel, Chief Justice of Queensland 12 June 2000 – 8 July 2014: The Honourable Chief Justice Paul de Jersey Air Corps, Queen's Counsel, Chief Justice of Queensland 8 July 2014 – 29 July 2014: Paul de Jersey Air Corps, Queen's Counsel 29 July 2014 – Present: His Excellency The Honourable Paul de Jersey Air Corps, Queen's Counsel, Governor of Queensland De Jersey"s style and title as Governor in full is: His Excellency The Honourable Paul de Jersey, Companion of the Order of Australia, Queen"s Counsel, Governor of the State of Queensland in the Commonwealth of Australia. As Administrator: His Excellency The Honourable Paul de Jersey, Companion of the Order of Australia, Queen"s Counsel, Administrator of the Commonwealth of Australia. Life Member of the Bar Association of Queensland 2000: Honorary Doctorate of the University of Queensland. 2008: Honorary Doctorate of the University of Southern Queensland. 2014: Honorary Doctorate of the Griffith University. = Honorary appointments = Australian Army 28 July 2014: Regimental Colonel of the Royal Queensland Regiment. Royal Australian Air Force 17 December 2014: Honorary Air Commodore of Number. 23 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force.
Life Member of the Bar Association of Queensland.
