Ray specialises in extremely complex matters and has repute for his lateral thinking and for finding solutions outside of the square. He revels in working on matters that have been placed in the ‘too hard basket’ by other legal practitioners. He is in high demand throughout the world for his work on electromagnetic radiation issues concerning the telecommunications industry and is considered to be one of the leading advocates in this
field.
Ray has appeared in the High Court including all Commonwealth Courts and interstate Courts and has provided advice in all jurisdictions.
Ray collects rare and antique legal books and manuscripts. He has an extensive law library and a large collection of early colonial law which assists him greatly in applying the Common Law. He also has an extensive collection of antique barrister wigs and tins. Wigs of note within his collection are:
The wig worn by Sir Thomas Strangman QC when he successfully prosecuted Mohandas Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) during the great trial of 1922. Gandhi was an Indian activist who was the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule.
Another wig in Ray’s collection is the wig worn by Thomas Wilde. Wilde was the very first independent crown prosecutor (clerk of the peace) in the new colony of New South Wales. Wilde’s eldest son Sir John Wilde was the Deputy Judge Advocate of New South Wales (technically Australia’s first Chief Justice) who oversaw the establishment of Australia’s first supreme court being the Supreme Court of Tasmania on 10 May 1824. Thomas Wilde was the co-founder of Wilde Sapte in 1785, very recently Denton Wilde Sapte and now the multinational law firm Dentons. Dentons is the 8th largest law firm in the world and employs over 7,700 lawyers earning $2 billion in revenue.
Ray like The Hon Charles Sweeney QC and Caroline Graves of this Chambers is of convict stock. Ray is an 8th generation descendant of his convict ancestor James Broomhall. James was transported to Van Dieman’s Land in 1824 , he was sentenced to 7 years for stealing 37 yards of velveteen fabric and a bunch of keys. James married Mary Coan (Cohen) and his grave is at St Marks Church in Deloraine (Tas). Ray has meticulously researched and
catalogued over 5000 descendants of James Broomhall and Mary Coan.
Address
Michael Kirby Chambers
49 Davey Street
Hobart, Tasmania 7000
Signed Bar Roll: 30 August 2013