picture by Gus

More young people in Australia are turning to a vegetarian lifestyle as part of a process of enlightenment, former High Court judge Michael Kirby says.

In the courts, retired Justice Kirby was known as the great dissenter and over the years the 72-year-old has been a vocal campaigner on a range of issues.

As a proud monarchist and passionate activist on the issue of gay rights, as well as lobbying for the protection of animals, the retired judge is one of two new high-profile patrons of the animal protection group Voiceless.

Justice Kirby does not describe himself as a strict vegetarian, but says he is "on the path".

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Just stare into the eyes of a cow and you will see yourself looking at you because they are also like us - beasts that feel pain and suffering.

"Different people are at different stages of this and I'm not obsessive about it. I'm like a lot of Australians - many have cut down on eating red meat and I had done that for years. I'm moving more in the direction of not eating animals," he told ABC Radio National this morning.

But it is the younger generation he looks to as proof of a new wave of thinking on the rights of animals.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-21/vegetarian-generation-emerges-over-animal-welfare-issues/2804378