Kevin Borick KC , is a criminal-law barrister in South Australia, and president of the Australian Criminal Lawyers Association.
His notable cases include:
Kevin Borick Vs Disgraced Pathologist Colin Mannock
Eminent South Australian defence barrister Kevin Borick KC made a parting shot in 2023 (he died that year) as to how, in his view, the state’s “legal fraternity contributed to the ongoing scandal that began with the unqualified forensic pathologist Dr Colin Manock and spread like cancer, infecting the entire system”.
Manock, as South Australia’s chief forensic pathologist (1968 to 1995) played a significant role as a medico-legal expert in the criminal justice system where, in his own estimation, he helped secure more than 400 convictions, and performed about 10,000 autopsies. Borick became Manock’s “bête noire” in several high-profile South Australian cases, including Henry Keough’s, starting with the Frits George Van Beelen trial in 1971.
In an online posting headed “Malpractice, Incompetence And Lies: the Manock curse” in 2023, Borick, with journalist in Andrew L. Urban on the Wrongful ConvictionsReport website, put the case as to how Manock “corrupted justice for decades” with crimes against forensic science. Borick believed that, while he was in his role, it was “clearly established that Manock was unqualified, incompetent and a liar”.
In 2017, the high court of Australia, dealing with an application for special leave to appeal in a case (Van Beelen) involving Manock, said it would not consider any evidence or argument relating to Manock’s qualifications or his “good faith”. In 1992, the prosecution presented Manock to a jury at the Henry Keough murder trial as competent, qualified and credible. Shortly before that trial started, the South Australian coroner found that the evidence presented by Manock in three murder investigations was in each case “spurious”. The prosecution didn't mention those three facts to the jury even though they were aware of the findings.
After Henry Keogh was convicted of murder, a post trial examination of the circumstances of that trial by professor Vernon Roberts informed the South Australia government solicitor general Chris Kourakis that Manock’s autopsy process was incompetent. When advising the government to reject Keogh’s petition, Kourakis didn’t refer to the Vernon Roberts report.
Borick wasn’t involved in the Keough trials but was central to later petitions and argued over the validity of forensic evidence that eventually led to Keogh’s conviction being quashed in December 2014. A retrial was ordered but public prosecutions director Adam Kimber dropped the murder charge because key witness Manock was too ill with dementia to testify.
The Liberal state government granted Keogh a $2.57 million compensation payout for his 21 years in prison. Borick and lawyer Michael Hegarty subsequently sued Keogh, claiming he'd promised to pay their retainers should his appeal succeed and he be released. Keogh argued the duo were never more than “volunteers”. Borick dropped out of the lawsuit but Hegarty took it to the supreme court where judge Katrina Bochner found in favour of Keogh.
Borick, born in the Angel Inn in Adelaide’s city centre to a Croatian father and Irish mother, “was brought up in hotels”, attended Rostrevor College and was admitted to the bar in 1960. After three years as a prosecutor, he became a criminal defence lawyer and worked independently throughout his career, including serving as president of the Australian Criminal Lawyers Association.
In a 2016 interview with Lindy McNamara for The Law Society, Borick was asked: “Do you love appearing in court?” He replied: “That’s my life.”