We are pleased to invite you to the upcoming launch of Graham Loughlin's biography of South Australian lawyer Paris Nesbit KC by former High Court Justice the Honourable Michael Kirby AC CMG. Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr William Brereton will give a commentary on Paris Nesbit from a modern psychiatric perspective, comparing and contrasting his experiences with psychiatry today, and on forensic psychiatry, stigma, and the challenges of being a professional with major mental illness. Attendees will be invited to participate in a Q&A session on this theme moderated by William Boucaut KC. Event details: Date: Friday 22 May 2026 Time: 5:15 PM to 7:15 PM Location: Foyer AB, Adelaide Convention Centre, North Terrace, Adelaide SA Cost: Free, but registration essential (link). ANZAPPL (SA) is proud to present this event in collaboration with the Law Society of South Australia, the Adelaide University School of Law, Legal Services Commission, South Australian Bar Association, and Pride in Law, reflecting the intersection of law, mental health, and professional wellbeing. Paris Nesbit KC (1852–1927) was a brilliant yet controversial leader of the South Australian Bar for over 20 years, celebrated as a cultured scholar, poet, reformer and humanitarian, but criticised by some as erratic and egotistical. Intellectually gifted yet affected by mental illness, he was twice imprisoned and repeatedly confined to asylums. A prolific writer and lecturer inspired by liberal and Christian socialist ideas, he championed numerous social and legal reforms. Paris Nesbit KC: Quixotic Counsel explores his remarkable and turbulent life, tracing his career from articled clerk to King’s Counsel across five decades of South Australian legal history. Following the session, attendees are invited to stay for networking with light refreshments. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, with the author present for signing.

His Honour Justice Vandongen will share his reflections on the evolving legal landscape over his extensive career in criminal law, including interesting cases, ethical considerations working with mentally impaired accused and/or accused with cognitive/developmental disorders as prosecutor/defence/judge and how psychologists and psychiatrists can best assist the Court. Justice Vandongen graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Australia in 1991 and was admitted to legal practice in Western Australia in 1992. His Honour joined the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in 1996 and worked as a Crown Prosecutor in New South Wales before returning to Western Australia to take up the role of Consultant State Prosecutor in 2006. In 2008, his Honour joined the Independent Bar and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2010. Justice Vandongen was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 2022 and as a judge of the Court of Appeal in 2023. Justice Vandongen was appointed to the Federal Court on 17 December 2024. This event is a collaboration between The Piddington Society and the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law (ANZAPPL). Please click here to register.