New Zealand’s legal profession has made a remarkable transition with the recent appointment of Justice Christine French as president of the Court of Appeal, which marks a milestone with herself, the Chief Justice Dame Helen Winkelmann the Chief High Court Judge and the Attorney General as all women.
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Justice French (above, left) was appointed President of the Court of Appeal last week.
Formerly a partner at Invercargill’s French Burt partners she was appointed a judge at the Court of Appeal in 2012 and was formerly a High Court Judge in Christchurch.
She graduated from the University of Otago in 1981 and went on to attend Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, graduating BCL in 1983.
Usa Jagose, LawFuel’s no. 1 power lawyer in the 2023 law list, shares the top power positions with Justice French, Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann and former Russell McVeagh partner and Chief High Court Judge Sally Fitzgerald.
A Tale of Two Realities
New Zealand’s highest courts have achieved an impressive level of gender parity with the recent appointments.
The Supreme Court boasts a 50/50 split, while the Court of Appeal stands at a 60/40 ratio in favor of women, figures that align closely with the overall composition of the legal profession, where women make up approximately 55 percent of local legal practitioners.
However, this rosy picture of equality at the top judicial echelons stands in stark contrast to the situation in private practice.
New Zealand law firms still lag behind in their gender equality with just 34 percent of equity partners being women, stats that LawFuel has reported over recent years with our NZ law gender survey reports.
This disparity between the judiciary and private practice presents an intriguing paradox. The senior judicial roles, widely regarded as some of the most demanding positions in the legal profession, require exceptional analytical skills and unwavering diligence.
The fact that women have risen to these challenging positions in such numbers suggests that the obstacles faced by women in private practice may have less to do with structural issues, such as the need for flexible working arrangements, and more to do with opportunities for advancement.
Disrupting the Law Status Quo
In response to these challenges, many women lawyers are taking matters into their own hands. They’re disrupting the status quo by establishing new firms and pioneering innovative models. Examples include Cuncannon, Morris Legal, Kate Sheppard Chambers, SHIFT Advisory, and Juno Legal.
These initiatives are not just creating new opportunities for women in law but are also reshaping the landscape of legal services.
Ethnic diversity and diversity of background remain significant challenges for the legal profession in New Zealand notwithstanding the outstanding position achieved by the legal leaders currently heading the Courts and the Solicitor General’s office.