Author(s): Peter Williams

Law | Biography

A memoir in anecdotal form by New Zealand's pre-eminent criminal barrister. In his time as a criminal defence lawyer in the New Zealand courts, Peter Williams QC has seen it all. From the days when abortion, homosexuality and even telling fortunes could see a person hauled before the courts, to sensational cases of wrongful imprisonment and police corruption, he has witnessed the defining moments in the evolution of our modern judicial and penal systems. In this rich and wise collection of memoir, anecdote and forensic analysis our pre-eminent courtroom advocate recalls the people (including Ronald Jorgensen, Arthur Allen Thomas, "Mr Asia", James K Baxter, Winston Peters and many more) and the cases (both celebrated and obscure) that have defined his remarkable career, and illuminates the ways in which a legal system mirrors its society, for good and bad. Fearless, astute and compassionate, Peter Williams proves - beyond reasonable doubt - that truth is nearly always stranger than fiction.