Ian Barker QC, Prince of Barristers

Description

Ian Barker QC began conducting murder trials in his 20s when practising in the Northern Territory. He became a QC at a young age and was appointed Solicitor-General for the Northern Territory in 1978. He became an internationally known figure in 1982 when prosecuting Lindy Chamberlain in the famous dingo case. Found guilty of murder at her trial, Lindy Chamberlain was later exonerated. But the trial cemented Barker’s national reputation as a gifted advocate.

Over the next 30 years he appeared in many notable cases. He represented David Combe in the Hope Royal Commission into espionage in 1983. In 1986 he successfully defended Justice Lionel Murphy who was prosecuted for attempting to pervert the course of justice. Within the legal profession he became known as the lawyers’ lawyer…the one members of the legal profession turned to when in trouble. Unlike the often facile representation of lawyers on television, Barker was modest, self-effacing, and genuine, as well as clever. He spent much of his life on good causes, including conservation and human rights. After September 11, 2001, he took up the causes of Australian prisoners held in Guantanamo. As well as his gifts as an advocate, and his contribution to good causes, Ian Barker was a highly amusing raconteur. And he never let serious things stop him from having a good time. This book, by a retired judge, looks at his life and describes some of his more significant cases.

Policemen and politicians have one thing in common – they’re the last people the community can look to, to preserve a principle essential to the freedom of the individual. Legal principles are mere impediments to social progress. When the mob clamours for vengeance, they will be given vengeance. So the legal profession, maligned as it is, can at least do its best to stand in the way, at least to the extent of reminding the community that the rule of law should be applied indiscriminately, and according to established principles. It ought not be swept aside to accommodate what may be seen to be special problems, or for the purpose of dealing with special people.
‑ Ian Barker QC, Darwin, 30 May 1997