Chester Porter interviewed by John Farquharson in the Law in Australian society oral history project [sound recording]
- Bib ID:
- 1051323
- Format:
- Audio
- Author:
- Porter, Chester, 1926-2021, interviewee
- Online Version:
- National Library of Australia digitised item
- Access Conditions:
- Access open for research, personal copies and public use.
- Description:
-
- 2001
- 6 sound discs (CD-R) (ca. 340 min.)
- Series:
- Law in Australian society oral history project.
- Summary:
-
Chester Porter, QC, speaks of the early years establishing his law practice in Sydney; the major cases he was involved with during his years at the Bar such as - the Voyager Royal Commission, the Lindy Chamberlain case appearing as Council assisting the Royal Commission; his first famous case in the early years being the Royal Commission into the murder conviction of Frederick McDermott in 1951 where he appeared as a junior. Porter's forensic skills uncovered evidence that proved pivotal in McDermott being pardoned. Porter became well known as a prosecutor after the Woodward Royal Commission into Drug Trafficking. He recalls taking cases to the High Court from PNG.
Porter comments on police court work, undercover police work & other aspects of building up a law practice; the difficulties of telling whether people are lying & in one to one cases of establishing that the accused is guilty beyond all reasonable doubt. Porter comments on the War Crimes Commission; the role of the ICAC and its effectiveness; the role of forensics in crime investigations; the contributions of women in the law; the High Court & its interpretations of the law.
- Biography/History:
-
Chester Porter, a Queens Council was born in Sydney 1926. He graduated with first class honours in Law at Sydney University, 1947. In 1948 at age 21 he was admitted to the Bar. He had a long and distinguished career at the NSW Bar spanning 50 years.
- Notes:
-
- Recorded on August, 1-2, 2001 at NLA, Canberra, ACT.
- Also available online http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-217475479
- Related Material:
- Related material: Papers of Chester Porter. Held in the Manuscripts Collection of the National Library of Australia at MS 9852.
- Index/Finding Aid Note:
- Timed summary (11 p.) and corrected transcript (typescript, 108 leaves)
- Subject:
- Occupation:
- Lawyers
- Other authors/contributors:
- Farquharson, John M., 1929-2016
- Related Records:
-
This belongs to the Law in Australian society oral history project.
This collection contains 46 records. - Copyright:
-
In Copyright
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- Reason for copyright status:
- Until 2071 [Created/Published Date + 70 Years]
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Sound Recording
- Published status:
- Unpublished
- Creation date:
- 2001
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