A relatively cool and rainy Melbourne spring afternoon witnessed a turning point in the history of the Melbourne University Greek Association (MUnGA). Last Wednesday, MUnGA successfully organised a presentation with Justice Emilios Kyrou of the Supreme Court of Victoria, entitled ‘Personal and Career Reflections of a Hellenic Australian Judge’.

Such an event justifies being entitled historic as it was inaugural in its nature; demonstrating the growth of the Association in organisation, capacity and status as well as relevance to its members, which naturally extends beyond the confines of social events.

The proceedings initiated with a speech from MUnGA’s president, Yiannis Kallianis. He began by briefing the audience, which numbered over 120 people, of the proud history of the Association as well as its aims; which include uniting students at the University of Melbourne with philhellenic affiliations and Hellenic descent, as well as fostering pride amongst students of a Hellenic background. He then proceeded to thank all parties which made the event possible; the Melbourne Law School (MLS), the Melbourne University Law Students Society and its newly elected president, Nick Jane, the National Union of Greek Australian Students (NUGAS) and its president, Tass Sgardelis, the sponsors of the event, the Bank of Melbourne and of course Justice Emilios Kyrou himself for responding positively to MUnGA’s invitation. The Associate Dean of the MLS, Professor Duxbury, then proceeded to formally introduce and thank Justice Kyrou and congratulated MUnGA on its initiative.

Justice Kyrou then took centre stage; beginning his presentation by acknowledging the humble and difficult lifestyle his family endured in their ancestral village, Sfikia, when poverty was rife. Justice Kyrou attributed his hard-working attitude and dedication as beginning from a very young age, inspired by the work ethic of his parents. He was also keen to point out that his migratory experience, Hellenic ancestry and culture built up a determination to succeed not only personally but professionally. Being the eldest of his siblings meant the young Kyrou shouldered an unusually high level of responsibility; requiring him to act as an English language interpreter for his parents and of course inform them of their rights. In fact, Justice Kyrou attributes such a childhood, growing up in the underprivileged suburb of Broadmeadows at an age where racism was rife, as garnering his interest in the law.

After overcoming such difficulties, Justice Kyrou appealed directly to the student dominated audience as he gave his heart felt advice on how to achieve success. He emphasised that whilst attaining good marks throughout ones academic career is important, it is not the panacea. Favourable interpersonal skills, communication skills, a respectful attitude to seniors in a workplace, a down to earth respectable character, a true passion for the job as well as hard-work were just some of the aspects his honour pointed out as being key to achieving success.

The Justice then proceeded to speak about his career as a lawyer, a period of time not addressed in his book ‘Call Me Emilios’. After much toil and dedication, he rose to become a partner at the prestigious law firm then known as Mallesons Stephens Jacques. He faced various barriers from time to time; both overt and covert. Discrimination, he pointed out, still existed in the law industry and only improved in the mid 1980’s. This era witnessed a substantial increase in the number of firms and lawyers. Hence, market forces and the subsequent conditions forced a fundamental change in the nature of the recruitment system; to one of meritocracy. This, he stated, was a key positive turning point in the industry.

A life-changing opportunity then presented itself to Justice Kyrou in 2008 – a promotion from a solicitor to a Supreme Court Judge, being only the second such type of appointment in Victoria’s history. In weighing up his decision, he prioritised the fact of whether he could give it his all and whether he would maintain the same passion and drive. The Justice emphasised his increased responsibilities in being a member of the third arm of government, the judiciary. The underpinning strength of the separation of powers as well as checks and balances on the executive and legislature he stated are attributed to the Judiciary’s independence and impartiality, as well as its members blending into the community and living a normal life.

All in all, Justice Kyrou’s presentation was a great success for MUnGA and of high value to the audience, as it offered a great insight and appealed to the students in an empathetic manner. It was filled with practical advice and inspiration, as well as humour throughout. It was followed by half an hour of question time, with questions ranging from being personal in nature to career oriented.

*This story was written by committee members of MUnGA for publishing in Neos Kosmos.