Media Release:
New Zealand Lawyer of the Year Named: The Victims of Sexual Harassment
Legal news site LawFuel has made the victims of sexual harassment their Lawyer of the Year.
The site announced that victims of sexual harassment and harassment generally were the recipient of the site's award
following a tumultuous year for the New Zealand legal profession in the wake of the #Metoo scandal that erupted
following the sexual harassment of interns at Russell McVeagh.
"The site recognises that the harassed victims of harassment in the legal workplace are deserved of recognition as the
torch-bearers of #Metoo and for helping to bring a culture change to law firms and the profession generally," said
LawFuel publisher John Bowie.
The legal profession has undergone a major shakeup following the ongoing issues arising from Dame Margaret Bazley's
report commissioned by Russell McVeagh and following the Law Society's working group recommendations made this month.
The working group was headed by Dame Silvia Cartwright and made numerous recommendations on how harassment issues should
be handled in future.
The issue of sexual harassment has been a 'dirty secret' in the profession for many years, lawyers have said and the
fact that it has taken the Law Society so long to take steps to deal with it has been the subject of criticism, as has
the fact that charges against offenders has not occurred.
The LawFuel recognition caps a year when the New Zealand law profession has needed to take stringent steps to rid itself
of an issue that also pervades the law profession in other jurisdictions.
"The disinfectant effect of shining light upon the issue will hopefully permit the profession to move ahead with the
establishment of safe workplaces for lawyers of every age, gender and race," said Mr Bowie
About LawFuel
LawFuel has been reporting legal news on the law profession globally since 2001 and is one of the first law news sites
online, with a substantial audience in multiple jurisdictions including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and
New Zealand. The site also publishes the law jobs site at Jobs.LawFuel.com