The Boxing Butterfly is a career chronicle of Margaret Cunneen SC—the boxing butterfly who turned the tables on ICAC, amidst prosecuting murderers, pedophiles and rapists—as she launches into her new chapter as a defence barrister. In her rear view mirror, Cunneen sees her trial successes—her convictions—interspersed with the flak from the ground fire of some colleagues who resented her success and were determined to stop her climb to greater heights. She regrets nothing and is totally satisfied with what she does. As Madam Crown, she empathized with the victims and their families. Now, as defence counsel she empathizes with the accused she defends. And what stories she tells! Some are gruesome and confronting, such as prosecuting the irreverent Skafs for gang rape, Robert ‘Dolly’ Dunn for pedophilia, the Butcher of Bega for unspeakable medical malpractice and the Charbaji Brothers for an ice-fuelled torture session that ended in murder. Others—especially relating to her defence clients, are filled with humanity and surprising moments of amusement, like the Chinese movie producer who couldn’t speak English yet taught inmates chess while awaiting trial.

For most of her working life, over 30 years, Margaret Cunneen SC was a Crown Prosecutor in NSW. She prosecuted many noted cases of murder, pedophilia and gang rape and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2007. As a specialist in child sexual assault law, she was appointed Commissioner of the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into child sexual abuse allegations in the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle in 2012, reporting to the Governor in 2014. Since 2019 she has been in private practice as a barrister, representing people charged with criminal offences. Andrew L. Urban is Publisher and Editor of urbancinefile.com.au, Australia’s award-winning weekly online movie magazine (weekly 1997-2017). As a freelance journalist since the 1980s, Andrew L. Urban has contributed over 2,000 articles and interviews to The Australian and The Australian Magazine, Sydney Morning Herald and Sun Herald, The Bulletin (no longer published), and many specialist publications. He created the iconic prime time TV interview series Front Up and was Host on the World Movies Channel for 6 years (2002–2007).