A Life in the Law: A Memoir

Description   VALE Nimal Wikramanayake KC Notice from the Victorian Bar, 21 December 2023 It is with deep regret that the Bar informs members of the death of Nimal Wikramanayake KC. Nimal signed the Bar Roll on 26 October 1972 and read with David Blackburn. He was a member of the Victorian Bar for 40 years. We extend our deepest sympathies to Nimal’s family and friends. 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. About the author: Educated in Sri Lanka and Trinity Hall Cambridge, Wikramanayake is the author of several legal books including Voumard: The Sale of Land. He lives in Melbourne. (His niece Shemara is CEO of Macquarie Group.) “Nimal reveals the details of his extraordinary life with humour, indignation and disarming honesty.” —Irina Dunn “… when people in minorities stand against the tide that they may help to change the world. Uncomfortable reading as it sometimes is … we can extrapolate the lesson about racism to a larger focus.” —The Hon. Michael Kirby