John Halden 'Hal' Wootten (19222021) made contributions to the law and public life that were extraordinary in their breadth, vision and lasting significance. This book brings together the best of his speeches and writing on the subjects he felt passionately about and knew so well justice for Indigenous Australians, international development, environmental protection, legal education, the responsibilities of the legal profession and the tragedy of Palestine. His work is as fresh and relevant today as when it was written.
Hal Wootten's commitments reflected the stages of a remarkable career, from a young lay anthropologist in Papua New Guinea to octogenarian observer of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. These were bookends to his working life as barrister, dean of law, Supreme Court judge, Royal Commissioner into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and President of the Australian Conservation Foundation. Throughout all these different roles, Hal retained a clarity of moral vision, memorably captured in his expressed commitment and concern for 'those upon whom the law bears harshly'.
In this collection of essays, speeches and unpublished work, David Dixon and Andrew Lynch present Wootten's contribution to shaping a more just society.
'We all continue to benefit from Hal's legacy of "living greatly in the law" through the generations of lawyers he has educated and inspired. This important book introduces his vision to the next generation.' Jennifer Robinson
