Megan Latham had an exceptional career within the judiciary. She was appointed as Crown Prosecutor in 1987 and Crown Advocate of NSW in 1996, the first woman to hold this post. In 1998, Megan was appointed to the District Court of NSW, where she remained until her appointment to the Supreme Court in 2005. She was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2005 and was the sole Commissioner of the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption from January 2014 to November 2016.

In an article in the UNSW La Alumni News in 2011 Megan is quoted as saying ‘I was passionate about the part of the law that connected to humanity – which is what I saw in criminal, family and common law’. She built her career around this concept choosing to not take the conventional path as a young law graduate, she started working in a general law practice in Leeton. This gave her the opportunity to appear in the District Court and made her realise that being in court was a large part of her dream. A dream she followed as opportunity after opportunity appeared all the way to the top.

Reflections

What would you say are your three proudest achievements?
My three proudest achievements are my contribution to child sexual assault law reform as part of the Child Sexual Assault Task Force in 1985 and 1986, my appointment to the Supreme Court in 2005 and the maintenance of a family life despite the pressure of work.

How did an MLC School education play a role in your life?
My education at MLC School was critical in determining that my future lay in tertiary studies, specifically the law, and in building the confidence to follow that path. It was something of a shock to me to discover that a woman’s voice was not always given the same deference as a man’s voice. At MLC School, there was never any question that your voice was heard and valued.