Linton, Bill Hosking Qc and John Suter

Born in Broken Hill, William (Bill) Hosking became a clerk in the Petty Sessions branch of the Department of the Attorney-General and of Justice in 1954, serving in courthouses all over New South Wales. In June 1961, at the age of twenty-three, Bill embarked on a different career path when Jack Mannix, the Labor member for Liverpool and Minister of Justice, appointed him as his acting private secretary. In 1965, the new Minister of Justice, John Maddison, retained Bill on his personal staff. Soon, he became assistant private secretary to Sir Robert Askin, the Premier of New South Wales. Within months, Wal Fife, Assistant Minister for Education and soon-to-be Minister of Mines, selected Bill as his private secretary. In 1970, Bill commenced practice at the private bar in Chalfont Chambers, which Jack Mannix had once occupied. Mr Mannix had loaned Bill his wig and gown to wear when he was called to the Bar in 1968, and gave them to him when he joined Chalfont Chambers. In 1973, he became a public defender and in 1980 he was appointed Queen’s Counsel and Deputy Senior Public Defender. As a leading QC appearing in a large number of notable trials, and as a District Court judge from 1987 to 2000, Bill has garnered some fascinating stories which bring to life the drama of the courtroom and lively exchanges of the participants. In 2014 Bill was appointed as a reserve judge of the County Court of Victoria, continuing his love of the law and justice.John Suter Linton has worked extensively in radio, television and print media, and as a writer, journalist, researcher and producer. He wrote for the TV shows ‘Sons and Daughters’ and ‘Neighbours’ and developed the pilot for ‘Australia’s Most Wanted’. John has also written five true-crime books, including MURDER AT ANNA BAY, AN ALMOST PERFECT MURDER and BLOOD TIES. John’s interest in crime came from his father, a printer on the Sydney Morning Herald in the sixties and seventies, who would recount details of gruesome crimes of the times to friends not knowing his young son was listening.;