Hellenic Australian Lawyers Association Incorporated Queensland Chapter Launch

– Alexander Freeleagus Oration

The Hellenic Australian Lawyers Association (HAL) organised a successful Oration on 22 May 2015, in the Supreme Court of Queensland, in honour of the late Alexander Christy Freeleagus.

Among the guests were Alex’s sister, Mrs Rene Nicolaides OAM and his great niece and great nephews.

The event was also attended by Judges and other lawyers from throughout Australia, as well as Nauru, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Justice John Byrne AO RFD spoke of Alex and his remarkable achievements.

Alex was one of the first lawyers of Hellenic origin to be admitted as a lawyer in Queensland, having been admitted in 1953 as a solicitor, and becoming a partner Henderson Lahey the next year.

Alex retired from Clayton Utz as a partner in 1993, after 39 years as a partner, over 20 of those as Queensland’s senior partner.

At the time of his death, on 3 June 2005, Alex had served as Queensland Consul-General of Greece for 48 years.

Justice Byrne also recounted the contribution by Alex which resulted in Alex being awarded the Reserve Force Decoration and the Member of the Military Division of the Order of Australia.

The Oration was delivered by another eminent Hellenic lawyer, Justice Emilios Kyrou, who is a Judge of Appeal, Supreme Court of Victoria. Justice Kyrou presented a very practical paper on “Attributes of a Good Lawyer and Judge”.

The Association was privileged by Chief Justice Wayne Martin AC, Chief Justice of Western Australia, also speaking at the Oration. The Chief Justice informed the nearly 200 in attendance at the Banco Court of the work of the Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity of which Council his Honour Chairs.

Justice Anthe Philippides, the Queensland Patron of the Association, closed the Oration.

Manuel Varitimos QC, the Queensland Representative of HAL mentioned the following coincidences shared by Justices Philippides and Kyrou.

Firstly, in 1982, both Justices Philippides and Kyrou graduated as the top law students of their respective Universities.

Secondly, in 2014, their Honours were both appointed as Judges of the Court of Appeal of their respective States.

Thirdly, in 2014, their Honours were both appointed State Patrons of the “Hellenic Australian Lawyers Association” in Queensland and Victoria respectively.

The successful Queensland Oration follows the Queensland launch on 31 January 2015 of the Hellenic Australian Lawyers Association by Chief Justice French AC.

In Melbourne, on Tuesday 16 June 2015, the Association will be holding an evening with the Victorian Attorney-General, Martin Pakula MP. The Hon. Martin Pakula, will be presenting a paper on “The Legal Profession in a Multicultural Society”. The Hon Justice Emilios Kyrou, Supreme Court of Victoria will also be presenting a paper on “The Judiciary in a Multicultural Society”.

HAL will be launched in the Northern Territory on 9 October 2015 and launches are planned in other jurisdictions in the coming months.