I was on the train to the city this morning, wondering what the occasion was going to be like. There was a breakfast in an Anglican church, followed by a full church service. Unusual for a Monday morning, except this morning’s event was an exclusively legal profession one. It was the Opening of the Legal Year.

For egalitarian and supposedly laid-back Australia, the event was very pompous and highlighted the hierarchical nature of the legal profession. Breakfast was in a high-ceilinged chamber. The menu was Aussie (tomato brioche, bacon and mushrooms) but the atmosphere was almost Victorian in the English sense. After breakfast the lawyers lined up like so: the Victorian Governor, Judges with their associates and staff, retired judges, academicians, QCs’ barristers then finally (someone said the “real lawyers”) the solicitors. All these officers of the court marched in a procession outside the St Paul’s Cathedral on Flinders’ Street before entering the cathedral with quite a bit of pomp.

The cathedral was normal but beautiful. High-ceilinged, with the pipe organs almost hidden away on the front right  corner, rows of stained glass windows lined the high ceilings on either side. The wall behind the altar/front stage had a huge tapestry which draped almost the length of the wall. On the top of this tapestry was a painting of a palm, facing out, on something like a cloud. Above it, from left to right, were the sun, an eye and the moon. The Almighty watching over us day and night? Several more icons made their way down the tapestry. Among them, a “P” and “X” sign on top of each other, was on the left. I think they meant Christ or something. Directly across that on the left: doves on flames. Holy Spirit? Next row down on the left, an opened scroll – the Bible? To the right, a chalice with “IHS” on top. Then a huge cross  in the middle of the tapestry, with “A” on top and “Omega” (Greek letter “O”) at the bottom – Alpha and Omega. Right at the bottom, the last 2 icons. One of them I had seen on the door on the way in – coat of arms for either the Anglican church or St Paul’s or something local, maybe. A key and a sword cross each other, with the crown on top and the southern cross (I think – cant remember, should have brought a camera) on the bottom. The other icon had a fish, almost like a picture of some sushi restaurant, and an anchor over it. Right on top of the tapestry at the top of the wall, were another “A” and “O” combination.

I was soaking it all in, admiring the whole set up but then had to turn my attention to the proceedings. Some traditional hymns were sang, scripture read and prayers made before the sermon was delivered. Half hearted with no follow-through, the Dean was trying to preach of forgiveness and acceptance in the context of the recent changes to the law designed to address terrorist threats but it was a lame attempt. We caught the drift but he should have made his stance and his statement more emphatically. Or maybe he hasn’t had one yet.

At the end of the service the lawyers and participants made their exits in the same way they made their entries – in a hierarchical way. That was when I was struck again by the root of the English courts – it was all part of the Ecclesiastical court. As the lawyers, especially the barristers, were leaving their pews, thy bowed towards the front stage before turning to leave, just as they would in a Court of law. It was like an acknowledgement that this was where the Court of law began – in God’s courts of justice. There were no one in the front, so the bowing was to acknowledge God, I guess?

We all made our way back to the office around 11.30 am and I guess from now on it is “full-on” work wise, having trudged along in a slow start the past few weeks.

I don’t know yet where I will end up this year. I still wonder if I should remain in practice, especially in a suburban practice. Lately however, this has not been an important issue. I guess as long as there is work to be done I will try to do and try to enjoy it as much as possible. KISS principle, long learned but only now putting into practice on a daily, even hourly basis. After all the wise teacher in Ecclesiastes did say that we are to enjoy our lives, enjoy our food and drinks and be glad, then joy will accompany man in all his work all the days God has given him under the sun (Eccl 8:15) and that “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Eccl 9:9).