Ian Temby QC: the ‘$1000 an hour’ barrister ..

By Andrew Hough
Herald Sun
March 18, 2015

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/ian-temby-qc-the-1000-an-hour-barrister-who-will-defend-catholic-archbishop-philip-wilson-against-sex-abuse-cover-up-claims/story-fnii5yv7-1227268643148

Adelaide Catholic Archbishop Philip Wilson.

Ian Temby QC will be defending Archbishop Philip Wilson.

Ian Temby QC: the ‘$1000 an hour’ barrister who will defend Catholic Archbishop Philip Wilson against sex abuse cover up claims

THE Catholic Church will likely pay the legal fees and the cost of one of the country’s leading barristers to defend Archbishop Philip Wilson against a sex-abuse cover-up charge.

Sydney QC Ian Temby, 72, who charges up to $1000 an hour, will oversee Archbishop Wilson’s defence as the latest prominent case in an almost 50-year career.

Having represented both sides of the bar table, he was Australia’s first Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, the founding NSW corruption watchdog and is a former royal commissioner.

The Archbishop’s case, described by experts as “extremely unusual”, is expected to cost at least $10,000 a day to defend.

Sources suggested the Archbishop’s legal fees would be paid for by the Catholic Church although it remains unclear how far it would fund his defence.

“The church usually has money allocated for this type of stuff and he is entitled to defend himself,” one source said.

Another added: “The obvious point is the conduct alleged goes back a long way and the offences carry a small penalty. These sorts of charges are extremely unusual.”

The renowned lawyer, a married grandfather, declined to comment yesterday.

“I don’t want to even issue a no comment because the matter is in court,” he said.

But friends, colleagues and, even opponents, describe him as a “living legend” with an extraordinary attention to detail, whose presence alone is even speculated as having swayed some cases.

Educated in Perth, he became a solicitor in 1964 and joined firm Northmore Hale Davy and Leake, now known as Minter Ellison, before co-founding the local Legal Advice Bureau in 1972.

He went to the WA bar in 1978 and was made Queen’s Counsel two years later. He was deputy mayor of Subiaco council in 1982-83.

He became the country’s top prosecutor in 1984 before being appointed founding NSW ICAC Commissioner five years later, whose big scalp included former state Premier Nick Greiner.

He also headed a Royal Commission into Finance Broking in his home state of Western Australia after thousands of investors lost money in predominantly pooled mortgage schemes.

The scandal helped unseat Richard Court’s Coalition Government in 2001, more than 20 years after Mr Temby lost to the former WA premier on preferences for his parliamentary seat.

He entered private practice in 1994 and he is head of St James’ Hall Chambers in central Sydney.

He has defended high profile cases including convicted murderer and former rugby league star Paul Mulvihill and represented the Health Services Union at the recent Royal Commission. He also investigated the Penrith Tigers rugby league club over claims of corruption.

A former president of the Law Society of WA and Law Council of Australia, the peak national body for lawyers, his service to the profession was recognised with an Order of Australia (AO) in 2000.

He lives in Summer Hill, in Sydney’s inner west, and enjoys tennis and golf.