Egyptian-Greek Dina Yehia has been appointed as New South Wales’ latest Supreme Court Judge, as of 4 July 2022. “It wasn’t easy,” Justice Yehia explained in quotes taken from state broadcaster ABC News; her rise to the Court has been a trying one. “When you come from a different ethnic and cultural background there’s a lot of fitting in to do… but I was very fortunate that I always had some supportive mentors from the very beginning.” Her journey began as a defense attorney for the Western Aboriginal Legal Service in 1989, where she underwent the task of representing thousands of indigenous Australians. “It was apparent to me even back then as it is now, that it’s really in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and experience that the criminal justice system has had a detrimental impact,” she said. For nearly a decade, Justice Yehia “honed her skills” working with indigenous communities and struggling individuals. Eight years later, in 1999, she became a public defender, only to later be appointed Australia’s first female Deputy Senior Public Defender in 2013. Only a year later, her role was changed to judge at…
“I didn’t speak any English”: Egyptian Dina Yehia Appointed Supreme Court Judge in Australia
September 28, 2022
