Book Launch: Paris Nesbit KC – Quixotic Counsel

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.