A young lawyer has unleashed on a disgraced former High Court justice who ‘destroyed her career’ by sexually harassing her.
Alex Eggerking won a compensation payout from the federal government over her treatment by Dyson Heydon when she worked as his associate.
She along with Rachael Patterson Collins and Chelsea Tabart secured confidential settlements on Monday after an investigation into Mr Heydon’s conduct.
Ms Eggerking told ABC’s 7.30 program that Mr Heydon ruined her career and her love of the legal profession.
In the interview, Ms Eggerking was asked if she wished to address the former judge directly.
‘Dyson, you ruined my career. You destroyed my love for the law,’ she responded.
Ms Eggerking as a law graduate. An associate position with Heydon at the High Court was her first step in becoming a barrister
‘You destroyed my faith in legal institutions and the legal profession. You made me feel viscerally unsafe on my third day of working for you.
‘You made me feel worthless. You treated me like I was an object that you could use when you wanted to with impunity.’
Ms Eggerking said Mr Heydon did not deserve his Companion of the Order of Australia award or to have a practising certificate for law.
‘What I also want to say is, that you didn’t get away with it,’ she said.
‘Strong, courageous, vulnerable, bloody determined women stood up and said, ‘That’s enough, this is what happened to me and you won’t get away with it.’
Ms Eggerking secured one of the prized associate positions with Mr Heydon in Canberra in 2011, a major step towards fulfilling her dream of becoming a barrister.
‘It was an absolute pinnacle job for a law graduate,’ she said.
But her dream turned sour when Mr Heydon invited her to Canberra’s Commonwealth Club after dinner at a restaurant.
Alex Eggerking told the 7.30 report that Dyson Heydon ruined her career and her love of the legal profession
An investigation into former High Court judge Dyson Heydon accepted the claims of six former associates who claimed harassment. Mr Heydon has denied all allegations through his lawyers
He invited her to a room to ‘see his desk’ but it turned out to be a bedroom Mr Heydon used at the club.
The 67-year-old asked Ms Eggerking to come into the room and close the door, she said.
‘That’s when I really started to panic,’ she said.
‘It became so obvious this had crossed over into an extremely unprofessional situation. I felt like I had been manipulated into his bedroom.
‘I was terrified, I felt violated, I felt manipulated and I felt trapped.’
Ms Eggerking said she then fled the room, telling the judge she had to go.
A confidential settlement was reached thought to total about $1 million for Chelsea Tabart, Rachael Patterson Collins and Alex Eggerking
She soon became aware she was not the first woman at the High Court to experience Mr Heydon’s harassment and had to come up with ‘strategies’ to complete her year’s associateship with the judge.
She later left the law to start a career in media after deciding she would never seek a reference from Mr Heydon, which was crucial to the next step in her law career.
‘I was absolutely determined that [Mr Heydon] would not have one iota’s say in who or what I was next,’ she said.
In 2020, an investigation into Mr Heydon’s behaviour at the High Court by public servant Vivienne Thom revealed six former associates were subjected to harassment, five of whom worked with the former judge.
As a result of the investigation, Chief Justice Susan Keifel said the women’s complaints were accepted.
‘We are ashamed that this could have happened at the High Court of Australia,’ she said in a statement after the investigation.
‘The findings are of extreme concern to me, my fellow justices, our chief executive and the staff of the court.’
‘We are ashamed that this could have happened at the High Court of Australia,’ Chief Justice Susan Keifel said in a statement after the allegations against Mr Heydon were investigated
Two of the other women involved in the settlement reported similar behaviour by Mr Heydon. Ms Collins said he repeatedly tried to kiss her and told her she was beautiful.
Another former associate, Chelsea Tabart, told the Sydney Morning Herald Mr Heydon put his hand on her knee after taking her to a private room at a club
Mr Heydon had previously denied all of the allegations through his lawyers.
He previously described his actions as ‘inadvertent and unintended’.
He was a High Court judge from 2003 until 2013, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Mr Heydon was referred to as ‘The Great Loner’ in the court because of his habit of writing his own judgements and his tendency to dissent from the majority, particularly towards the end of his tenure.
He oversaw the controversial Royal Commission into trade union governance and corruption in 2014, after being appointed by the Abbott Government.
Employment law firm Maurice Blackburn Lawyers revealed the settlement on Monday but its terms will remain secret after the three women signed non-disclosure agreements
It’s believed the compensation amounts could total more than $1 million.
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