Justice Emilios Kyrou launches PRONIA’s new free legal clinic to support multicultural com
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
Justice Emilios Kyrou officially launched PRONIA’s new Free Legal Clinic that will promote social justice, inclusion and empowerment within the multicultural community earlier this week at the organisation’s Brunswick headquarters in Melbourne.
Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission Vivienne Nguyen, attended the launch alongside legal, business, and community sector representatives.
PRONIA CEO Sylvia Hadjiantoniou addressed attendees and emphasised the importance of accessible legal support for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) individuals facing financial hardship.
“PRONIA has offered free legal information and referral services since 1988, thanks to the generous contributions of volunteer legal professionals,” Hadjiantoniou said.
“With this new clinic, we’re now able to provide comprehensive legal support to those who need it most. We are deeply grateful to HWL Ebsworth for their generosity and to everyone who helped bring this vision to life.”
“This clinic represents a vital step forward in PRONIA’s journey,” Justice Kyrou, who is PRONIA’s patron and President of the Administrative Review Tribunal said.
“It highlights the shared values between PRONIA and HWL Ebsworth, both of which have strong traditions in offering free legal support. This partnership will provide tangible benefits for the community PRONIA serves.”
“I am proud to work alongside PRONIA,” he added.
“It is a wonderful organisation that supports the Greek Australian community quietly but powerfully. I have complete faith in its future.”
HWL Ebsworth partner and PRONIA Board Chair, Elpis Korosidis, spoke of her personal connection to the project and the barriers CALD individuals often face in the legal system.
“The idea for this clinic came from a simple question—where would my mother, who doesn’t speak English well and can’t afford a lawyer, go for help?” Korosidis said.
“This initiative is about more than legal advice—it’s about empathy, trust, and understanding cultural challenges.”
Longtime PRONIA legal advisor Helen Dellidis SC was also recognised for her dedicated service to the organisation’s Legal and Migration Information and Referral Service since its inception in 1998.
The Free Legal Clinic will complement PRONIA’s existing Legal and Migration Information and Referral Service, offering holistic and culturally safe legal assistance to individuals and families in need.
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