Olivia Wensley (born 25 April 1985) is a former

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

#MeToo advocate. She has worked for Startup Queenstown Lakes on a part-time basis and had been with the organisation as chief executive from 2020-22. Wensley says she has inspired hundreds to share their

sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...

stories and has been credited for making important efforts in highlighting the working conditions and harassment young practitioners can face as lawyers in New Zealand.

Biography

Wensley studied law at the

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

and the

University of Waikato The University of Waikato ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato), is a Public university, public research university in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand established in 1964. An additional campus is located in Tauranga. The university perfo ...

, and worked as a lawyer in New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. On 28 February 2018, Wensley published a piece on

LinkedIn LinkedIn () is an American business and employment-oriented online service that operates via websites and mobile apps. Launched on May 5, 2003, the platform is primarily used for professional networking and career development, and allows job se ...

titled ''We Need to Talk About Law's Dirty Little Secret,'' which was re-published by media outlet ''

Stuff Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to: *Physical matter *General, unspecific things, or entities Arts, media, and entertainment Books *''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly (author), Joseph Connolly *''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jere ...

''. The article described sexual harassment Wensley had experienced at law firms; it quickly went viral and attracted international media attention. In speaking out, Wensley helped uncover other women's stories of rape, assault and harassment in the legal profession. Wensley has been a vocal critic of the

New Zealand Law Society The New Zealand Law Society ( mi, Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa) is the parent body for barristers and solicitors in New Zealand. It was established in 1869, and regulates all lawyers practising in New Zealand. Membership of the society is voluntary, ...

's handling of the Russell McVeagh scandal, where it has been alleged that multiple interns were sexually assaulted and harassed during the summer of 2016/2017 – causing national outrage. Wensley has called for stronger sanctions against sexual offenders in the legal profession. In March 2018, Wensley was one of many stakeholders to meet with the

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...

, Andrew Little who reconfirmed his commitment to holding the legal profession to account over sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace. Wensley was one of 488 nominees for 2019 New Zealander of the Year.

Political career

Wensley contested the

mayor of Queenstown-Lakes The mayor of Queenstown-Lakes in New Zealand presides over the Queenstown-Lakes District Council. The district council has existed since 1986 and there have been seven mayors so far. Queenstown-Lakes District Council In 1986, the Queenstown Boro ...

position in the

2022 New Zealand local elections The 2022 New Zealand local elections were triennial elections held in New Zealand on Saturday 8 October 2022. Voting began by postal vote on 16 September and ended at noon on 8 October 2022. Election schedule Key dates relating to the general ...

. Wensley placed third, receiving 2,531 of 12,272 votes cast. Wensley's personal business interests in property development and her father-in-law's involvement in New Zealand's leaky home crisis was a feature of mayoralty race, especially when a proposed

rates Rate or rates may refer to: Finance * Rates (tax), a type of taxation system in the United Kingdom used to fund local government * Exchange rate, rate at which one currency will be exchanged for another Mathematics and science * Rate (mathema ...

-rise was linked to her father-in-law. Opposing candidates Glyn Lewers and Jon Mitchell said that Wensley would have to recuse herself from key council decisions if she were to be elected because of conflicts of interest stemming from these matters. During the election campaign Wensley denied these claims and stated her intention to sue those who made them for defamation, but after the election said it was "not worth the energy."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wensley, Olivia 1985 births Living people 21st-century New Zealand lawyers New Zealand women lawyers University of Canterbury alumni University of Waikato alumni New Zealand women's rights activists New Zealand women chief executives New Zealand political candidates