- Published:
- Thursday 3 November 2022 at 11:05 am
We would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Pat Harvey, who died recently aged 73.
Known by most as Paddy, he has been remembered fondly by his former colleagues as a humble and dedicated criminal lawyer, and was once called ‘the best lawyer in the world’ by former client Mark ‘Chopper’ Read.
Paddy started as a criminal lawyer in the early 1970s at the Public Solicitor’s Office, which was then a section of the Crown Law Department.
By the time it became the Legal Aid Commission of Victoria in 1981 – later renamed Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) in 1995 – he was an experienced senior criminal lawyer.
Former colleague John McLoughlin said in his time, Paddy was responsible some of the most difficult and confronting cases handled by VLA.
‘Paddy seemed to take them in his stride with a philosophical calm,’ John said.
‘Pat brought a down-to-earth humanity to his work and to his relationships both with fellow workers and with clients.’
‘He cared about his clients as people and worked hard to get the best result possible for them.’
‘In this, he set an example and a standard for us all.’
A distinguished senior counsel who had known him since the 1970s said: ‘I don’t have any stories about Paddy, but I had a very high opinion of him.’
‘I enjoyed the way he worried over his cases.’
Paddy was a senior team leader throughout his career and was a mentor to many.
He married a colleague, Kay Macpherson, who was manager of the Criminal Law Division from 1990 until she was appointed as a magistrate a few years later.
Our Professional Support Lawyer, Crime, Jennifer Schubert, agreed Paddy was a stalwart at VLA, his sociability helping bring people together and making new starters feel immediately part of the team.
‘There was really no drama about him, he just got on with the job,’ Jennifer said.
‘He was a very humble man.’
Kim Davies was a lawyer in Paddy’s team for many years.
‘He was just the kindest, loveliest of men and there wasn’t a single skerrick of ego about him,’ she said.
‘I don’t think I ever heard him say a bad word about anyone.’
‘One of the things I remember most about Paddy is his calmness despite what was going on around him.’
‘I remember his lovely smile and his mischievous nature. How he lived to head over to the Celtic Club.’
‘He was just decent through and through.’
A memorial service is being held on Thursday 3 November.
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