Chris Kourakis of Greek Descent Named Chief Justice

Greek-Australian Chris Kourakis was appointed Chief Justice of the South Australian Supreme Court. Mr Kourakis’s election ended weeks of uncertainty that followed the unexpected resignation of former Chief Justice John Doyle.

Kourakis, aged 54, became the state’s ninth Chief Justice in 175 years. He joined the Supreme Court almost four years ago in 2008. He has been solicitor-general with the Legal Services Commission and Edmund Barton Chambers.

The Greek distinguished judge had many other quite successful ‘competitors’, all aspiring to become Chief Justice. Among them there were Richard White, Dick Whitington, and current Solicitor-General Martin Hinton.

Following the announcement of Mr Kourakis’s selection, Jay Weatherill, Australia’s premier,  stated that “Kourakis has had an outstanding career, serving the court and the community with distinction.”

Justice Kourakis, in an interview with Neos Kosmos, commented that he is very proud of his Greek heritage and believes that his Greek roots are partly responsible for his professional success. “Coming from a different culture, having a different background from which you currently live, helps you understand humans much better,” he continues.

Another Greek-Australian, Nick Alexandrides, was appointed magistrate in South Australia few days ago.