ANGELA Mealing's family say they don't blame the media for the District Court decision to have ex-cop Adrian William Deemal's perjury trial moved to Brisbane.

Mr Deemal's defence team yesterday applied to have the trial adjourned and moved from Cairns because of pre-trial publicity.

The defendant was charged with perjury after allegedly lying to a Crime Commission hearing about the direction he drove when giving Ms Mealing a lift to the Gordonvale area on the last night she was seen alive in 2000.

Her skeletal remains were found outside Gordonvale weeks later and the circumstances of her death remain unknown despite an extensive police investigation and an inquest.

Defence barrister Josh Trevino yesterday told the court extensive media coverage of his client's arrest, committal hearing and The Cairns Post article published yesterday, "on the eve of (his) client's trial … is clearly prejudicial to my client's fair trial".

Mr Trevino said it was important jurors knew what happened to Ms Mealing was unrelated to his client's charge of perjury.

"Many jurors came to the jury meeting room this morning with The Cairns Post tucked under their arm," he said.

Judge Sarah Bradley approved the application to change the venue, saying media reports of the legal process, including yesterday's article in The Cairns Post, would unfairly prejudice Mr Deemal's trial in the Far North.

Judge Bradley said there had been significant media interest and publicity surrounding the death of Ms Mealing and Mr Deemal's association with her.

She said the article - which reported what happened in court on Monday and at a previous committal hearing, as well as comments from Ms Mealing's mother outside the court - would raise in the mind of potential jurors that the case involved the investigation into Ms Mealing's death, which it did not.

She ordered the trial venue be changed to Brisbane, meaning the case will not proceed until at least February next year.

Outside the court Ms Mealing's aunt, Julie Arnol, said the family was disappointed the trial had been moved and delayed, but was not angry at the media.

"I think they were just doing their job. It's a time delay, that's all," Ms Arnol said.

Mr Deemal told reporters he was happy with the decision and thought he would get a fairer trial in Brisbane. The case will be mentioned in Brisbane District Court on August 1.

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