Lawyer, politician, dodgy character: Richard Meagher exemplified the dubious side of Australian society

The Conversation (Australia) reviews 'The Stained Man' by Patrick Mullins, which tells the story of Richard Meagher, a Sydney lawyer and politician who epitomized ethical failures in late-nineteenth-century Australia. Meagher defended George Dean, accused in 1895 of attempting to poison his wife. Despite Meagher's defense, Dean was convicted—but public outcry led to a costly royal commission that overturned the conviction. The scandal truly deepened when the truth emerged: Meagher had known of Dean's guilt all along but kept it hidden, allowing the government commission to proceed at considerable public expense in ignorance of the facts. Charged with conspiracy to pervert justice, his conviction was ultimately overturned on appeal, but he was stripped of his law license and forced from parliament. Meagher spent the next decades fighting for rehabilitation: eight attempts to be readmitted to practice, finally succeeding in 1920 through a special act of parliament. The book frames his arc as a study in memory, forgetting, and Australia's complicated reckoning with ethical lapses in public life.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton