There is an unusual item on the Gold Coast District Law Association annual general meeting agenda tomorrow, but one which Peter Sams is more than happy to deliver.
The Brisbane barrister, who won last year’s Queensland Young Lawyers’ Golden Gavel comedy competition, will inject some laughter into proceedings as guest speaker at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort event.
Peter said his comedy aimed to “balance the seriousness of law with the brevity of life, and tap into the benefits of laughter”.
“Obviously there is a time and a place, but overall, the law is a very serious profession and we should create spaces for humour so we can tell jokes and share laughs,” he said.
For his Gold Coast presentation, The Best Medicine, Peter will draw on the tradition of comedy in the law, and review some of history’s most controversial cases involving comedians.
But woven through the light-hearted 45 minutes will be a serious message about the importance of maintaining mental health in the profession, and the benefits of laughter for lawyers and society in general.
Tomorrow’s appearance will cap off a busy stretch on the comedy circuit for Peter.
Last Thursday, he took part in this year’s Golden Gavel Comedy competition, tackling the topic Alone Australia: how I learned to survive as a reader at the Queensland Bar, at Brisbane’s Sit Down Comedy Club.
Peter lost his title to fellow Brisbane barrister Mark Goldsworthy, but said he was not disappointed because the event was designed to promote laughter and fun in the profession rather than individual achievement.
This effort followed a performance as MC of the Women in Insolvency and Restructuring Queensland Annual Great debate, where speakers tackled the topic A shark would beat an insolvency practitioner in a fight, at Brisbane’s Stamford Plaza Hotel, on August 24.
The Gold Coast District Law Association AGM will be held at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Main Beach, tomorrow from 1pm to 4pm.
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