While dubbed a “hippie lawyer” more than 40 years ago, Lyle Parker was not out to “bring down the government or legal system”.
The recently retired criminal lawyer just wanted to show “people are people” and make to sure the disadvantaged and vulnerable “were treated with respect and dignity”.
So he set out to advocate for justice – dedicating about 30 years of his career representing Indigenous clients with his work at ATSILS. He started there in April 1984 when the service only had three criminal lawyers representing clients across the whole of the South East Queensland.
Lyle was involved in advocacy projects.
“People called us hippie lawyers but we weren’t hippies. We were seen as radicals. But we simply couldn’t afford to think inside the square,” Lyle recalls of the eighties.
“We were trying to get the world out of the square. While I may have worn moccasins, flared jeans and had my hair over my ears, we treated people with respect and dignity.
“I don’t like bullies and discrimination. We were discriminated against and couldn’t get a lease in the city. That was the extent of the discrimination, so we set up in South Brisbane.
“Society was very divided back then and there were class wars. There was animosity between the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and the police.
“This group was adversely treated. People deserve respect subject to their character.”
The workload was heavy with few lawyers staying more than 18 months. Lyle stayed initially for about four years and advocated for a Royal Commission into Prisons, with the Kennedy Royal Commission eventuating in the early 1990s. Lyle also travelled to Canberra in 1987 with the Brisbane ATSILS’ Deaths in Custody Committee to obtain funding for the hearings which later took place in Brisbane.
With strong trade union connections to both his “working class” father and grandfather, Lyle wanted to ensure all classes of people, no matter than income or race, had access to justice.
“The proudest part of my career is my work to help give a voice to those who could not speak for themselves in court,” he said.
“What’s the good of law if it cannot help people in an affordable and accessible way.
“There was much happiness and satisfaction in my career. It is so important to treat people like human beings, not as numbers.”
And witnessing a case at the Manly Courthouse in Sydney as a teenager gave him the drive to do this.
“I was walking past and went into the Magistrates Court. I thought this sounds interesting and cool, I reckon I could do this. I thought it could be my dream job – achieving something and trying to achieve justice.
“I wanted to prove to myself I could it. In doing that, I was also proving it to other people. It is important to do the best you can on a professional basis.”
Lyle also admits, although he says it sounds corny, that he was also influenced by the 1950-60s television series Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr. He fondly remembers how he and his older brother were lucky enough to secure the actor’s autograph when he was visiting Sydney in 1961.
It was a chance meeting as Burr was staying at the King’s Cross hotel where his father was working as chief electrician.
And Lyle loved the law so much, he rarely took a day off or went on holidays. He recalls being forced to take holidays because of his leave balance. He would spend weekends visiting prisoners.
“I’d like to think if I was ever in that situation that someone would help me.”
Lyle with DPP colleagues in 1994.
Lyle left ATSILS to join the DPP office in 1990 “largely for the experience” as part of the “new broom” sweeping up after the Fitzgerald Inquiry. He was hired to help re-establish and restore public confidence.
He doesn’t consider himself a high-profile lawyer and jokingly prefers to be called a “low-profile lawyer”.
“I am not focused on myself. I knew the dangers of focusing on myself. It would be a backwards step, you must be focusing on your client not yourself. It is about doing the job. It’s not about running about giving quotes to journalists (although exception was made for Proctor).”
Lyle returned to ATSILS in May 2000 and stayed until his retirement last month on 2 July.
He held many roles on his return to the office – Regional Manager of the Maroochydore office between 2001 and 2003; Regional Manager of the Beenleigh office between 2003 and 2009; and inaugural Regional Manager of the newly established Southport office – until later returning to Brisbane.
ATSILS Director of Criminal Law Lewis Shillito said: “His most standout qualities … are his compassion and resilience. He has an inordinate personal leave balance because he rarely would take a sick day.
“He believes fiercely in working hard to achieve the best outcomes for all of our clients. He comes to work even on days off if he feels he needs to, and regularly had to be asked to take leave to keep his leave balance somewhat reasonable.
“He also would always take steps outside of his role to help clients if he could see ways to do so – he would give clients money for transport or food if they needed it, he regularly attended the jails on weekends to see clients he just couldn’t get to during the week.”
ATSILS Principal Legal Officer Greg Shadbolt said: “Without question, Lyle’s well-deserved retirement sees the departure of a true legend – a lionhearted and consummate professional who was all about service to others – especially the most vulnerable.
“Lyle will always remain an integral part of the ATSILS’ family – indeed, it is people such as he, who make us all proud to be part of that same family.”
At 73, Lyle said he could have retired eight years ago but that his was such a “wonderful job”.
“I am as fascinated today by the law as I was when I was 16 years old.”
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