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

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The Advertiser (adelaidenow.com)

18 March 2015

Adelaide Catholic Archbishop Philip Wilson.

Adelaide Catholic Archbishop Philip Wilson.

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.

Ian Temby QC will be defending Archbishop Philip Wilson.

Ian Temby QC will be defending Archbishop Philip Wilson.

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.”

Archbishop takes leave

http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/external?url=http://content6.video.news.com.au/dqMHkxdDomxCXUtRSx7ufxMd_YtkjkL3/promo250931545&width=650&api_key=kq7wnrk4eun47vz9c5xuj3mc

Archbishop takes leave

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.

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

  1. Sylvia says:

    Can you believe it?

    $1000/hour!

    According to the article, it will cost in the order of $10,000 a day to mount the defence. Add to that what I have been told by a reliable source: the costs per court day will be in excess of $20,000!!!!!

    Whose deep pockets I wonder are footing this legal extravaganza? I highly doubt that Archbishop Wilson has that kind of money?Who then will foot what promises to be a hefty bill? Does the Archdiocese of Adelaide have that kind of monies? Perhaps it does?

    Will all the dioceses/archdiocese of Australia throw money into the hat? Perhaps?

    Will the Vatican step up to the plate to lend a helping hand? Perhaps. Without doubt Australia’s Cardinal Archbishop Pell, now Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy in the Vatican, could pull a few strings?

    Wherever the money comes from, it’s a disgrace. Mounting a defence is one thing, an Archbishop paying a defence lawyer $1000/hour is quite another.

    A disgrace.

  2. Cardinal Archbishop Pell, now Prefect of the Secretariat says:

    Cardinal Archbishop Pell, now Prefect of the Secretariat used Ian Temby QC as apart of his support TEAM for his appearance at the Royal Commission into Institutional Sex Abuse in Australia. Yes, just a part of his team.

    Remember the pensioners who give their precious money in the collection plate. Shame shame shame. These people forgo heating and air-conditioning in Australia’s oppressive heat to support these monster enablers extravagant life styles.

    Google the Bishop’s Palace in Adelaide to see the grandeur he lives in. Look for the photos of the wine cellar.

    shame shame shame.

  3. Mike Mc says:

    The lawyer enjoys tennis and golf. He looks quite fit in the photo.
    The ArchBishop, on the other hand, looks fat and out of shape.
    Wine vaults? I’ve no doubt. Good food too no doubt. Rich desserts perhaps.
    $1000 an hour? Who’s paying for this? The laity for sure.
    Shame. Shame. Shame. And mine, Sylvia, are with a capital S.

  4. jg says:

    Thanks a lot Mike!!
    I read your post and went back to look at the picture of the “archibishop”….fat and out of shape! …and then in the background, sadly, the bronze of a nun seemingly happy, holding the hand of a boy and a girl…
    That picture is so revealing about the nuns which were never(yet) called to task about their treatment of children. Some covered up for “Monsignor”, and sadly some others were abusers themselves!
    Try as you can, right back to reality!… I then thought of my sister( or sisters) who were abused by a certain nun…
    Yes, that picture tells of a much more complex “organization”…a perfect storm!
    Enablers all around!
    jg

  5. Jerry Boyle says:

    You may be interested in the movie “Philomena”. It is based on the nuns and their abuse of young unwed mothers in their charge and selling of their children in Ireland.

  6. Let us hope says:

    Let us hope that the charging of enabler Catholic Archbishop Paul WILSON opens the flood gates for charges against those in positions of power who have failed to act and in fact allowed pedophiles to prosper.

    Archbishop WILSON is not the only living Archbishop to enable abuse to continue and to cover it up. In the weeks to come Sylvia will no doubt reveal another enabler Archbishop who chose to do nothing not wanting a scandal until after he became Cardinal. An Archbishop who just one year ago put children at risk permitting a self confessed pedophile to live in a boarding school.

    But in the recent case of the new Chilean Bishop, does this mean that the Vatican is quite highly involved in the cover ups. And how far up does this stop ?

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