Take No Prisoners

Australian Story, ABC1, 7 March 2011:

On the eve of his retirement from public office, the nation's longest serving Director of Public Prosecutions, Nicholas Cowdery, reflects exclusively on his sixteen years in the top job.

Cowdery's reign encompasses some of the nation's most notorious criminal prosecutions including the cases of Ivan Milat, Gordon Wood, Keli Lane, and the moral outcry over Bill Henson's photographs of children.

Loved by many in the legal profession, but loathed by some in the political arena, Nicholas Cowdery is acknowledged as a fierce defender of the DPP's independence. His decision from the outset not to 'curry favour' with his political masters led to a 'take no prisoners' leadership style that's divided friends and foes alike.

In a rare insight, Nicholas Cowdery reveals the stories behind some of his most difficult decisions - and finally explains what the gift of two olives in a jar from one of his biggest opponents really stood for.

Watch the Australian Story episode here