The Access to Justice Award is intended to recognise a New Zealander (or qualifying New Zealand resident) who has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion of access to justice.
Award co-sponsors, LexisNexis NZ Ltd and the New Zealand Bar Association | Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o Te Ture, will present the award at the Bar Symposium 2026. The winner receives a cash prize from the Bar Association, along with a yearly LexisNexis subscription package.
The winner of the Award will have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving access to justice for individuals or communities through advocacy, leadership, and the giving of their time and energy.
Criteria and Terms of the Award are available here.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination for the 2026 Access to Justice Award.
Nominations have now closed. The recipient of the 2026 Access to Justice Award will be announced at the Bar Symposium 2026. We are grateful for the high calibre of nominations received and the time taken to recognise individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to improving access to justice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Previous recipients
- 2025 | Sonja Cooper. For more than 30 years, Cooper has led claims on behalf of thousands of survivors of abuse, playing a pivotal role in bringing about the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry.
- 2024 | Annette Te Imaima Sykes (Te Arawa, Ngāti Makino, Ngāti Pikiao) has fought for the rights of the poor, marginalised and disempowered for decades.
- 2023 | Bridgette Toy-Cronin. Her work informed the judiciary, the legal profession, and government of the crisis we face in accessing our courts and dispute-resolution mechanisms.
- 2022 | Frances Joychild KC worked as counsel on major cases involving the Bill of Rights and Human Rights Acts, health and disability, immigration, refugee law, domestic violence, and abuse in care.
Thank You to our Award Partner LexisNexis
