A good session of writing last night produced a draft of the appearance in the witness box of the complainant, Shannon Olivier. I'm pleased to say I think it's a pretty good first effort. Thanks to some sound advice from my sister Janice, a former Crown Attorney, I think the cross-examination section is especially effective.

I have sent the draft to Janice for her review.

Even still, however, I have now spent the last 12 hours ruminating over the draft and thinking up ways to improve it. While I think what I've done is good, I've also realised there are some key issues and key points that I have left out, both in the direct examination of the witness by Sharon Kyle and in Gold's cross-examination. So I have to go back again, hopefully tonight, to revise and add.

I'm finding this an interesting process. It involves a great deal more rethinking and revision than the usual prose because the criminal trial is such a specialised business. I'm also learning new respect for the lawyers on both sides of the bar who have to get it right the first time. They can't go home at night, realise what they've missed, then go back the next day and take another crack.

It's slow work for me as a writer but I'm very much enjoying it.

Tags: Phillip Gold