Lawyers Then and Now

“Mason carries the book well, with charming wit and erudition. … This book exceeds expectations in almost every respect and will delight most lawyers who love the endearing absurdities of the profession.” Read full review… - Joseph Sampson, Law Society Journal, May 2013 “A work of this nature is long overdue. There are myriad legal anecdotes which have arisen in the course of Australian legal history which ought to be shared with the present generation of legal practitioners and, thanks to the defamation laws not protecting the reputation of those who have passed on, many can now be told with relative impunity. … For when they are collected, sorted, categorised and published they provide a focus for inner reflection as to the persona of this country’s legal profession as a whole and many a laugh as well. Lawyers Then and Now is a worthy addition to any collection of legal miscellanies. It can easily stand on an equal footing besides Robert Megarry’s five similar works. Like all well written books of this genre it is a ‘good read’ and a wonderful source of legal anecdotes. No doubt those tales will re-surface in after dinner speeches at Bar Dinners for many years to come. However, Mr Mason’s work is more than merely a book of humorous and curious legal anecdotes. As the title suggests, it shines a light on Australian legal culture, both as it was and as it is.” Read full review… - Roger Derrington QC, Queensland Law Yearbook, 2012

Keith Mason has been a solicitor, barrister, law reformer, solicitor-general, president of a court of appeal, law teacher and mediator. He has published on topics including judicial method, legal taxonomy, the law of restitution, and the interface of law, morality and religion. Currently he is a visiting professorial fellow at the University of New South Wales and the chancellor of the Anglican diocese of Armidale. This work, Lawyers Then and Now, combines the interests of an amateur legal historian with insights drawn from a fortunate life in the law.