Trigg’s Rebecca Stacy with Liam Millner, managing director of award sponsor Australian Accident Helpline.
Camera IconTrigg’s Rebecca Stacy with Liam Millner, managing director of award sponsor Australian Accident Helpline. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Trigg student named Australia’s Next Top Lawyer in essay writing competition

Laura PondStirling Times

TRIGG university student Rebecca Stacy has been named Australia’s Next Top Lawyer.

The 21-year-old, who is studying a double degree in law and journalism at Curtin University, won the essay writing competition for her submission on religious freedom and parental rights.

She said she was inspired to write the article on the clash between cultural and legal dynamics in Australia because it had been a point of frequent discussion among her peers.

“It’s something we always see in the news, reflective of the changing multicultural world that we live in,” she said.

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“But I realised that it was difficult for me to have an opinion about it, as I did not know what Australia’s legal position was in relation to women and children, and issues such as female circumcision and arranged child marriages.”

Her essay concluded that under Australian law, child welfare and women’s rights takes precedence over cultural traditions.

Ms Stacy hopes to specialise in human rights law, focusing on women’s rights and child welfare.