Summum Bonum: The Ultimate Good

Summum Bonum (The Ultimate Good) presents the life, experiences and reflections of former Court of Appeal judge, Dato’ Mahadev Shankar. It contains stories which are absorbing, some even tantalising, as readers travel with the author down memory lane and immerse in the unfolding of a life well lived. From early Malaya to WWII, England, family law reform and the pebbled road from Bar to Bench, this book is peppered with the struggles and aspirations of one man on his legal journey. A must-read for members of the legal community, this book brings to life the roots and rich history of the legal community in Malaysia.

This book serves an intimate account about culture, family and one man’s life-long encounter with the law. The author provides insight and colourful perspectives about a Malaya that needs to be remembered, and about the journeys of many brave and resolute men and women who blazed the trail for the Malaysian legal profession.

A deeply moving and often colourful memoir, with its share of humour and historical figures from Malaya, England and Singapore, Summum Bonum will greatly interest the different stakeholders in the legal profession as well as the society at large. The author shares powerful lessons about the law, our collective history and the evolution of a nation much beloved. The celebrity anecdotes included will certainly be a great bonus to the readers as this book which explodes with extraordinary verve about key legal and historical personalities.