WHEN Justice Lex Lasry began the search for a 'getaway' from the pace of his Melbourne–based life as a Victorian Supreme Court judge, a retreat in Merrijig became the obvious choice.
"I've always liked the mountain area, and we came looking around 2000, with Mansfield as the starting point.
"The house we're in now was the second house we looked at, set on five acres with a three bedroom cottage; not a farm, but a farm environment," he said.
The 74–year–old, who officially retired in 2018 but continues to serve as a reserve judge, enjoys the time he's able to spend in the region, indulging in his love of music and drumming, keeping an eye on the Mansfield Eagles' fortunes, getting out when he can on his road bike, and even recently enjoying a spin around Winton Motor Raceway in his Porsche.
The serenity he's found in Merrijig with wife Amy and their beloved border collie Nevvie (short for Neville) is the ideal escape from the world of law, in which Lex became ensconced after graduating from Monash University in the early 1970s.
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Following his university graduation, he practised law as a barrister from 1973, and was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1990.
Initially a prosecutor, he went on to practise predominantly as a defence barrister, until his appointment to the Supreme Court in October, 2007.
A member of the International Criminal Bar Association, and of the International Commission of Jurists in Victoria, Lex has received a number of awards, including the Australian Lawyers Alliance Victorian Civil Justice Award in 2006 and the inaugural President's Medal by the Law Council of Australia for his contribution to the law.
He was made an honorary life member of the Victorian Criminal Bar Association and holds an honorary life membership of Reprieve Australia for his work on death penalty cases.
It's been a celebrated, multi–layered and fascinating career, and one which clearly takes a certain kind of personality to fulfill.
"You have to be someone who can control your emotions; some people can do that, and some can't.
"If you can't handle that, it's probably not for you.
"You're dealing with people's liberty, and talking about jail sentences that can be 15, 20 or even 30 years," Lex said.
Having carved out a distinguished career, Lex says he is pretty happy with life at 74.
However, with a passion for music which sees him perform locally and in Melbourne behind the drums, he does often wonder what it would be like to follow a career in music.
Mind you, with a drum kit set up at the Merrijig house and the chance for regular gigs with local band Fat Max, the North East offers plenty of avenues to indulge in that love of music, in addition to performing with his Melbourne–based band, The Lex Pistols.
"Mansfield is quite a musical place, and we play at various wine festivals in the area," he said.
Read about Lex Lasry, his illustrious career, the trials he has presided over, and why he now feels like Mansfield Shire is home, in the current edition of North East Living, available now.
