Nothing reveals the dark underbelly of humanity more profoundly than the practice of criminal law. A Painful Duty: 40 Years at the Criminal Bar celebrates author C.D. Evans’ journey that, in his own words, “brought combat, exhilaration, exhaustion, and often, high humour … if irony is going to strike, it will be in the courtroom.” Following on the success of his best-selling Milt Harradence: The Western Flair, in his own memoir Evans reveals further insights into the practice and the characters of the Criminal Bar, with special tributes to the no-nonsense judges of the early days. Noteworthy cases include police officers moonlighting as bankrobbers, North of 60 escapades, the defence of famous hockey players, First Nations clients, and away-from-home games in Toronto and Bermuda.