Law, Politics and Intelligence

Robert Marsden Hope (1919–99), a NSW Supreme Court judge, shaped the structures, operations and doctrines of Australia's intelligence agencies more than any other individual.

Commissioned by three Prime Ministers to conduct major inquiries, including two royal commissions, Justice Hope prescribed the structures, legislation, operational doctrines, and national and international arrangements that would ensure Australia had agencies that were effective in countering threats to its security, while also being fully accountable to the government, the law and the parliament.

Not just a biography on Hope, Law, Politics and Intelligence also makes an important contribution to the history of Australia's environmental policies, adds significantly to the debate on judges acting as Royal Commissioners, and contains new insights into the appointment of High Court and Supreme Court judges, as well as the dismissal of the Whitlam Government. 

This landmark biography is a groundbreaking account of the life and times of a man who shaped the way our intelligence agencies have operated for four decades.

'In Peter Edwards this multi-faceted, highly principled, famously charming but occasionally cantankerous jurist has found the biographer he has long deserved. This is a comprehensively researched, meticulously fair, lucidly written and completely absorbing read.' – Gareth Evans AC QC

'Peter Edwards has written an informative and perceptive account of his life and work. It is a pleasure to read.' – Murray Gleeson AC QC

'Peter Edwards in Law, Politics and Intelligence: A Life of Robert Hope has produced a small masterpiece. It follows the career of a senior Australian judicial figure, in significant roles, while slicing through some of the more obscure and yet vital history that pushed Australia out from its parochial remoteness into tackling the real world of national security. For all that, Hope was a true libertarian, involved in much more than the law. His contribution has been enhanced by Edwards’ biography.' — Anne Henderson, The Sydney Institute