Chris Kourakis

Christopher John Kourakis (born 17 June 1958[1]) is a Greek Australian lawyer and judge. In 2008, he was appointed to the Supreme Court of South Australia and in 2012, he was elevated to the position of Chief Justice.

The Honorable Chris Kourakis SC
9th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia
Incumbent
Assumed office 25 June 2012
Preceded by	John Doyle (judge)
Judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 August 2008
Solicitor-General of South Australia
In office 3 February 2003 – 2008
Preceded by	Bradley Selway QC
Succeeded by	Martin Hinton QC

Kourakis grew up in Port Lincoln as one of ten children[2] of Greek migrants Evangelos and Roxani Kourakis.[1] He was educated at the University of Adelaide. His parents originated from the Greek island of Ikaria.[3] He practised at the Independent Bar in South Australia from 1989 and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1997. Kourakis was President of the Law Society of South Australia from 2001. In 2003 he was appointed as the Solicitor-General of South Australia.[1][4][5] When the South Australian government decided to cease appointing Queen's Counsel and the Chief Justice of South Australia began appointing Senior Counsel, Kourakis resigned his commission as Queen's Counsel to become Senior Counsel instead.

References

1. Emerson, John (2006). History of the Independent Bar of South Australia. Papinian Publishing. p. 179. ISBN 0-86396-835-X.
2. Pappas, Penni (23 November 2012). "Chris Kourakis: right place, right time". Neos Kosmos. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
3. https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/04/02/3469171.htm
4. Williamson, Brett (2 July 2012). "Getting to know South Australia's new Chief Justice". ABC. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
5. Appleby, G (2016). Role of the Solicitor-General. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 322. ISBN 9781509903962.