New Zealand's pre-eminent criminal barrister looks back on his remarkable life and times. In his time as a criminal defence lawyer in the New Zealand courts, the late Sir Peter Williams QC saw 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 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 Allan Thomas, “Mr Asia”, James K Baxter, Winston Peters and many more) and the cases (both celebrated and obscure) that defined his remarkable career. Fearless, astute and compassionate, Peter Williams proves — beyond reasonable doubt — that truth is nearly always stranger than fiction. Peter Williams QC was New Zealand's best known criminal barrister. He appeared in some of the country's most celebrated and controversial trials, including the so-called ‘Mr Asia' case, the notorious Basset Road machinegun murders, the Arthur Allan Thomas appeal and the murder trial of World War II hero Peta Awatere. Made Queen's Counsel in 1987, he was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit shortly before his death in June 2015.
