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William Ah Ket is well known as one of the very few early twentieth-century Chinese-Australian lawyers and a fierce opponent of racism. that's not what this thread is about. it's just misc interesting and funny William Ah Ket stuff from the archives
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ah-ket-william-4979
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ah-ket-william-4979
"Chinese Lawyer Thinks Bagpipes Would Have Fascinated Confucius." Advocate (Tas), 5 May 1933. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/68017171
William Ah Ket defends a man of colour on charges of fortunetelling -- a clear case of entrapment, which was v common with these charges! Sadly, he lost the case. The Argus, 23 Nov 1933 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11713952
successfully defends a young man against shoplifting charges with the ludicrously melodramatic defence that he was attempting to lower himself in the eyes of an unwanted suitor with criminal acts (The Herald, 24 Aug 1928) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244085046
everyone in court except the judge forgets their robes (Ballarat Star, 10 Feb 1912) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/218534706
Chinese-Australian dressmaker sued by extremely chatty plaintiff over building a couple inches over neighbour's property line; William Ah Ket, in court, at the end of his rope: "please oh my god just drop this we'll say anything" (The Age, 23 Mar 1923) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203785775
Defends a conscientious objector to compulsory military training (The Argus, 16 Jul 1913) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/7291352
barber admits hairdressers lie to you (Independent (Footscray), 28 May 1910) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/73476746
Ah Ket was appearing for the hairdresser's union, who were defending a recent raise in the award against an appeal by the employers' association. His point was that being a hairdresser takes a lot of skill ("lying" is a skill). the union won the case :) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242087167
