LexisNexis Congratulates 2017 International Bar Association Award Winners

Three international lawyers recognised for their outstanding contributions to the legal profession

SYDNEY, October 9, 2017: LexisNexis, a leading provider of content and technology solutions, congratulates Ramazan Demir, Malene C. Alleyne and Balasz Sahin-Toth on their accolades, for their outstanding commitment to pro bono and human rights work at the International Bar Association (IBA) Conference.

The Awards are being presented at IBA Conference in Sydney this week, which LexisNexis is a proud global event partner – of the event itself and the Awards.

Ramazan Demir is the recipient of the 2017 IBA Human Rights Award. Ramazan has acted in the interests of many marginalized groups despite facing serious personal consequences including being charged twice. He has represented members of the People's Democratic Party over their arbitrary detention and acted as a consultant for those arrested following the Gezi Park protests in Turkey in 2013. Ramazan is also a former recipient of the Human Rights Award of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (2016).

Malene C. Alleyne is the recipient of the IBA Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award 2017. Malene is a graduate of Harvard Law School who has worked at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Washington, D.C. Among her notable rule of law work, Malene helped to develop a case for litigation under the Alien Tort Statute to assist a woman from El Salvador to obtain asylum. Malene also testified at a hearing of the Commission on the impact of President Trump's executive orders on human rights.

Balasz Sahin-Toth was recognised as the Pro Bono & Access to Justice 2017 Honoree. Balasz has done significant rule of law work including acting for 63 Roma students in Hungary who had been adversely affected by illegal segregation at their school. He is a trustee of PILnet Hungary, the Global Network for Public Interest Law, and has previously been awarded the Hungarian Pro Bono Award.

"It is a privilege to be able to support these dedicated Award recipients who donate their time and energy in the pursuit of human rights, said LexisNexis Legal & Professional Executive Vice President and General Counsel Ian McDougall.

"As a company whose guiding mission is to advance the rule of law, LexisNexis understands the crucial importance of pro bono work in promoting social justice and equality before the law for all people around the world."

LexisNexis is committed to advancing the rule of law globally, through a comprehensive program of support which includes partnering with customers, bar associations, law societies, governments and non-profit organisations to make justice systems more efficient and transparent; as well as documenting and making accessible local, national and international laws to citizens and professionals, essential to the proper administration of justice. 

For more information about the LexisNexis Rule of Law program please visit http://www.lexisnexis.com.au/rule-of-law/

Media Contact

Polina Madorsky, LexisNexis
T:+61 2 9422 2212
Polina.madorsky@lexisnexis.com.au


About LexisNexis Legal & Professional

LexisNexis® Legal & Professional is a leading global provider of legal, regulatory and business information and analytics that help professional customers make more informed decisions, increase productivity and serve their clients better. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis® and Nexis® services. Today, LexisNexis Legal & Professional harnesses leading-edge technology and world-class content to help professionals work in faster, easier and more effective ways. Through close collaboration with its customers, the company ensures organizations can leverage its solutions to reduce risk, improve productivity, increase profitability and grow their business. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 175 countries with 10,000 employees worldwide, is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries.

About the IBA

The International Bar Association (IBA), established in 1947, is the world's leading organisation of international legal practitioners, bar associations, law firms and law societies. The IBA influences the development of international law reform and shapes the future of the legal profession throughout the world. It has a membership of more than 80,000 individual lawyers and more than 190 bar associations and law societies spanning over 170 countries. Inspired by the vision of the United Nations, the IBA was founded in the same spirit, just before the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed in 1948.