The Nature of Honour

Crikey's Person of the Year.

Son, father, soldier, lawyer, adventurer, crusader - the colourful and fascinating life story of David McBride.

Son
Of the renowned Sydney obstetrician, Dr William McBride, who raised the alarm on the anti-nausea drug thalidomide in the 1960s and was later struck off the medical register for falsifying research results in a bid to challenge the safety of another drug. David chose to study Law, firstly at Sydney University and then at Oxford. There he met some British army officers and decided that soldiering was his calling, going on to train at Sandhurst. He commanded a platoon in Northern Ireland while bomb and sniper attacks on British soldiers were still happening.

Civilian life
He worked in security protecting diplomats, journalists and businesspeople in Rwanda in the immediate aftermath of the 1994 genocide and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Soldier
After growing tired of the travel and the action, David returned to England, where he worked in reality TV. On moving back to Sydney, he briefly joined a major law firm and then joined the Australian Army as a lawyer, going on to serve two tours of duty in Afghanistan, on the frontline confirming or denying decisions made by soldiers under international laws. He was medically discharged with PTSD in 2017.

Whistleblower
In 2018, he was charged with offences relating to national security and is awaiting trial.

David was reregistered to practise law in NSW in 2022 and spends a bit of time defending those facing charges. Crammed with colour, adventure, achievements and some diversions too, David McBride leads a big life.