Ian Barker QC began conducting murder trials in his 20s when practising in the Northern Territory. He became a QC at a young age and was appointed Solicitor General for the Northern Territory in 1978. He became an internationally known figure in 1982 when prosecuting Lindy Chamberlain in the famous dingo case. Found guilty of murder at her trial, Lindy Chamberlain was later exonerated. But the trial cemented Barker’s national reputation as a gifted advocate. In 1986 he successfully defended Justice Lionel Murphy who was prosecuted for attempting to pervert the course of justice. Within the legal profession, he became known as the lawyers’ lawyer.