A Life in the Law

Like Winnie the Pooh, I thought a thought. Should I write my memoir and tell the world about the difficulties a brown-skinned man from an Asian country had to undergo in the legal profession in Melbourne?

Melbourne silk Nimal Wikramanayake’s memoir is a no-holds barred account of the scandalous racism he experienced as a Sri Lankan barrister who joined the Victorian Bar in the final days of the White Australia Policy. He worked hard to establish his professional credentials in the face of a consistent pattern of hostility, until he was eventually appointed Queen’s Counsel.

Readable and entertaining, though sometimes uncomfortable, this memoir is honest and doesn’t hold back from criticism of people he encountered and practices in the law. Now in his mid-eighties, Nimal has decided, against advice, to tell the story of his difficult career. The foreword is by the Hon. Justice Michael Kirby.