2025 New Zealand Law Ethel Benjamin Scholarship winners
22 July 2025 | news
The New Zealand Law Foundation along with Universities New Zealand - Te Pōkai Tara are delighted to announce that Caccia Armstrong, Taz Haradasa and Nerys Udy have been awarded a 2025 New Zealand Law Foundation Ethel Benjamin Scholarship.
Caccia has been accepted into the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Law where she will work towards a Master in Law later this year.
Taz and Nerys plan to study at the University of Cambridge, both working toward a Master in Law.
Caccia Armstrong
Caccia graduated from University of Otago - Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka with a double degree in Law (with Honours) and Psychology in 2022. Alongside her studies, Caccia co-coordinated a student-led campaign to fundraise for Ōtepoti-Dunedin Whānau Refuge (formerly Te Whare Pounamu Dunedin Women's Refuge) raising over $100,000 to support its work.
She worked as a Judge’s Clerk at the Court of Appeal of New Zealand for two years from January 2023-2025 for Hon Justice Collins and Hon Justice Wylie. Originally from Palmerston North, Caccia is currently a Junior Crown Prosecutor at Kayes Fletcher Walker, the Office of the Manukau Crown Solicitor.
While a Judge’s Clerk, coupled with her voluntary work for the Refuge, Caccia was struck by the repetitive violence cases before the Court, which highlighted to her the importance of legal advocacy in this space. “It reiterated that women are disproportionately affected by violence and that to effect change in Aotearoa, which has the highest rates of intimate partner violence in the developed world, research and education are crucial.”
By pursuing a Bachelor of Civil Law at Oxford, Caccia plans to deepen her understanding in the legal and political arenas of domestic and sexual violence. She aims to examine different jurisdictions' approaches to the prevention and mitigation of these issues and, consequently, contemplate how aspects of these systems could provide actionable solutions to Aotearoa's significant burden of intimate partner violence.
Taz Haradasa
Taz completed a first-class honours degree in law from Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington in 2020, finishing her studies as the top law student for her year. She went on to clerk for two years for Hon Justice Ellen France at the New Zealand Supreme Court | Te Kōti Mana Nui o Aotearoa for two years and has recently finished practicing as a junior barrister for Thorndon Chambers. She has also worked as a reporter for New Zealand Law Reports since 2024.
She plans to use her scholarship to further her study at Cambridge with the assistance of the Ethel Benjamin Scholarship and the WM Tapp Studentship in Law.
At Cambridge, Taz intends to complete a Master of Law degree studying a variety of advanced private and public law courses.
“The Master’s degree at Cambridge allows me to study a variety of courses across private and public law spheres. This aligns with my varied academic and professional interests. I am particularly interested in courses such as the Law of Restitution, International Human Rights Law, Advanced Private Law, Advanced Public Law and Legislation. What I am most excited about is the chance to learn from and collaborate with world class academics and fellow students from across the globe. I am also looking forward to joining a vibrant campus community, and as a cricket tragic, particularly excited about the chance to experience historic Oxbridge cricket matches. It is a privilege to be awarded a Scholarship that honours the legacy of Ethel Benjamin – an inspiration for all women in law in Aotearoa.”
Nerys Udy
Nerys completed a first-class honours degree in Law from the University of Otago - Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka in 2020 alongside a Bachelor of Arts degree. She moved on to clerk for Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann of the Supreme Court of New Zealand between 2021 and 2022 before becoming a junior barrister at Thorndon Chambers. Alongside the Ethel Benjamin Scholarship, Nerys has also been awarded the Henry Hollond Studentship in Law, to study at Trinity College, University of Cambridge, where she will complete a Master of Law degree.
She plans to undertake a course of taught study to explore questions of legal theory and rights jurisprudence – examining the nature of law, legal authority and different theoretical conceptions of rights. Nerys has a particular interest in the application of theory to New Zealand’s pluralist legal systems, underpinned by te Tiriti o Waitangi, and hopes to bring a global perspective on these issues to her future career.
“My chosen study focus springs from my interest in the growing confluence between state law and tikanga Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand. I believe engagement with legal theory is critical to navigating the boundaries of this legal interaction and ensuring we are equipped to respond to the opportunities and challenges it presents us as a country. I am looking forward to learning from experts and peers from around the world, to gain fresh insights for Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique context. It is an honour to be supported in this journey through this award in the name of Ethel Benjamin. Her legacy is a reminder of the transformation our legal landscape has gone through across time and offers inspiration for the future as our law and society continues to evolve.
The Ethel Benjamin Scholarship was established in 1997 by the New Zealand Law Foundation to mark the centenary of the admission of Ethel Benjamin as the first woman barrister and solicitor in New Zealand, and only the second woman in the British Empire to become a lawyer.
For over 25 years, this award, valued at up to $30,000, has supported postgraduate research in law that aims to protect and promote the legal interests of the New Zealand public.
Applications for the Ethel Benjamin scholarship close on 1 February each year.
More information about the scholarship is available on the Universities New Zealand - Te Pōkai Tara website. Information about past recipients is available at the New Zealand Law Foundation.
For more information about this year’s recipient or to arrange an interview, contact comms@universitiesnz.ac.nz or +64 27 636 5050.