Dr. I. Stephanie Boyce Receives International Leaders Award

VIENNA — There are professional destinies that do much more than simply check off roles or successes; they manage to shape the very substance of the field in which they operate. Tonight, in Vienna, during the prestigious Justitia Awards 2026 gala organized under the aegis of The Women in Law Initiative, such an exceptional trajectory received supreme recognition: Dr. I. Stephanie Boyce CBE FKC was honored with the International Leaders Lifetime Award

A speaker delivers a speech from a wooden podium at an event for the Women in Law initiative, with a banner in the background.

A woman in an elegant black dress speaks at a podium while another person seated beside her listens attentively. A banner in the background reads 'THE WOMEN IN LAW INITIATIVE'.

The presentation of this grand award brings to the forefront a reflection far deeper than the mere celebration of a moment: it is about commitment, the assumption of the total responsibility of leadership, and the echo of a career dedicated to a complex and demanding profession.

The name and very existence of Dr. I. Stephanie Boyce CBE FKC seem chiseled into the very foundation of a profession that struggles, day by day, with the heaviest burden of democracy and society — the Law, with its endless tension between rights, obligations, and the relentless pursuit of justice. In a world where institutions, technology, and norms are in a continuous and often turbulent transformation, the presence of figures like Dr. I. Stephanie Boyce CBE FKC reminds us of a fundamental lesson: excellence is not an accident, but a constant choice of integrity.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this Lifetime award.

To often the path to leadership has been to narrow and crooked but thanks to all of you, my fellow nominees, ally’s, those who have gone before who have made that path a little straighter and wider, thank you.

Thank you also to the person or persons who nominated me for this award. I am grateful for the recognition and your willingness to shine a spotlight on my work.

But tonight, I want to say something very clearly: this award does not belong to me alone.

It belongs to everyone who, at some point in their lives, has dared to believe that they could do more, be more, and change something.

It belongs to the young woman who walks into a room and wonders whether she belongs there and walks in anyway.

It belongs to those who have been told no and decided that no was not the end of the story.

And it belongs to the people who opened a door for me, stood beside me, challenged me, encouraged me and, sometimes, simply believed in me when I was finding it difficult to believe in myself.

One of my favourite quotes is from Marianne Williamson:
 “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

I have carried these words with me throughout my career.

Because leadership is not about waiting until you feel completely ready. It is about having the courage to step forward, knowing that the opportunity in front of you may be bigger than you and then using that opportunity to create opportunities for others.”- Dr. I. Stephanie Boyce CBE FKC

A reference moment not only for the gala, but for everything that the dignity of the legal profession means on a global scale. Craznic & Associates Law Firm, Justice News247, and News247WorldPress salute the initiative and the decision to grant this high distinction to Dr. I. Stephanie Boyce CBE FKC