Ross Mackay was the counsel for the accused in the trials of the last men to be hanged in Canada. He was a mere thirty years old when he lost both clients to the gallows. But the trials were far from the last times that Mackay defended accused murderers in the most horrendous circumstances. This is the story of Mackay's dedication to the maxim that every man is entitled to a defence. It is also the story of his courage and the harsh penalties he paid for the often daring and controversial choices he made in life and in the courtroom.