Brian Bourke interview 10 October 2005

He was able to control the courtroom. As Neil McPhee, another great advocate at this Bar used to say, "You've got to be in charge of the courtroom". Now that might sound silly. The judge is sitting up there and he or she's the person in charge, but really you can impose your personality, you develop a presence in a courtroom. Cullity had that. Judges and certainly policemen were all intimidated by him, his capacity to cross-examine briefly but so succinctly - it was just something to be seen. He was a fellow who by outlook and nature was an extremely shy fellow. I used to go to parties at his place. He had a son, a contemporary of mine, and when JM (Cullity) came home, the party sort of finished. The crims absolutely idolised him.

One of the greatest compliments I ever got at the Bar was when he (Cullity) came to see me just before he retired, and said, "Look, I'm going to retire and I want you to look after two blokes for me. Mickey [Mutch] was, I suppose, the best pickpocket in the world. Mick Mutch was convicted all over the world. And a fellow named Des Moran. Des Moran was the father of Lewis Moran who was (recently) murdered and (the grandfather of) Jason Moran. They both got murdered. That was not a fate that happened to Des, but I felt absolutely overwhelmed when Cullity saw me about those two fellows - it was just marvellous.

And other blokes, I mean Vic Belson. When I was doing articles, I'd have to come up and file something at the Prothonotary's office, I'd call into the Fourth Court. Vic Belson and Jack Lazarus. Cullity did say to me once that no barrister ever wants to mimic anyone else and I think that's true. I think you've got to develop your own style, but you learn to be able to relax completely and all that by watching those fellows and just doing what they did.

Conducted for the Bar Oral History project by Juliette Brodsky in Owen Dixon Chambers East and filmed by Stewart Carter (People Pictures)