While the world reels from the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the emerging story that former High Court judge Dyson Heydon had sexually harassed six women while on the bench reminds us of the ongoing waves caused by the #MeToo movement.

Like a case awaiting trial, the Australian legal profession has been lined up in the wings waiting for its own #MeToo moment. And as is now apparent, there are legions of female lawyers for whom the moment cannot descend quick enough.

At the centre of what is now proving to be a veritable tsunami of revelations rippling through the profession is the highest judge in the highest court of the land herself - Chief Justice Susan Kiefel. It is she who has dictated how the revelations are being handled by the Australian public. And she has been exemplary.

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Six women who had worked as legal associates for Heydon came forward with complaints that he had sexually harassed them during their employment in his chambers.

It's not surprising that Heydon is known to be a formidable figure. It's not surprising that these women took time before they felt able, eventually, to come forward with their complaints.

The changing opinion around how such complaints should be treated as a matter of routine now, in the wake of revelations throughout the world of high-profile, powerful men abusing their positions and mistreating the women around them.

And, after a former inspector-general of intelligence and security substantiated their claims, High Court Chief Justice Susan Kiefel acted quickly and decisively. She has brought the issue out into the open, making a formal and public statement condemning Heydon's actions. She has apologised, and given all associates and junior legal employees the space to talk about these issues. And, most importantly, she has made it clear that these women have been believed.

"We're ashamed that this could have happened at the High Court of Australia," she said. "We have made a sincere apology to the six women whose complaints were borne out. We know it would have been difficult to come forward.

"Their accounts of their experiences at the time have been believed."

Her actions shouldn't be remarkable, but they are. And they are only the first step in what is obviously a deep-seated and long term problem within the legal profession.

It would be naive to assume that Heydon is an isolated example, or even one of only a few who have behaved in this way towards female subordinates.

Thanks to the likes of Harvey Weinstein and his ilk, we are now more attuned than ever to the ubiquity of sexual harassment and abuse wherever there are uneven - and patriarchal - power structures. Entertainment, sport, politics - until other, less predictable world events took over, the tide of #MeToo revelations had seemed unstoppable.

It's not surprising that it's now time for the legal profession to face its own reckoning. Dyson Heydon is not isolated, despite the proliferation of stories about him that are now bubbling up, threatening a flood.

There will be more revelations from the legal world, and while they might be unexpected, or uncomfortable, they shouldn't be surprising.

The profession itself needs to take a good hard look at itself, because it'd be naive to assume he's the only one.