IN HER final year of schooling, Mount Gambier Magistrate Maria Panagiotidis made a split second decision and went against her family’s advice to pursue a career in law.
Beginning her chapter in Mount Gambier position late last year, Ms Panagiotidis was appointed to the magistracy in 2003 after serving as mainly as a Crown Solicitor’s Office government lawyer.
The city’s magistrate spent most of her school years with the intention of studying pharmacy, but a guest speaker during Year 12 made Ms Panagiotidis consider pursuing legal studies.
Ms Panagiotidis said she had always been fascinated by television shows and movies involving courtroom scenes and legal cases while growing up and after she spoke to a Legal Services Commission lawyer, she decided to pursue a career in law.
“I applied and the rest is history,” she said.
Coincidentally Ms Panagiotidis has Limestone Coast connections predating her current term, with the first three prosecutions she presided over based in Mount Gambier.
“Working in government gave me the opportunity to work in many areas including civil cases, criminal cases, administrative law and disciplinary matters,” she said.
Ms Panagiotidis said she enjoyed living in the Blue Lake city and was acclimatising to the colder winter temperatures and country conditions.
“I do enjoy it here. I like the cooler temperature and the beauty of the lush green countryside,” she said.
“I am an urbanite at heart, so I do not spend a lot of time communing with nature, but the shops, cafes and cultural activities are very good.
“The Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre is a splendid facility and I have seen a number of performances there since I arrived.”
Ms Panagiotidis said she had planned to see many more live acts, but COVID-19 restrictions meant she was unable.
“ I have enjoyed visiting Penola and the Coonawarra region too. They have been great places to go when I have had friends visiting,” she said.
Over her years, Ms Panagiotidis said it was difficult to identify challenges and highlights, but said one challenge was managing large numbers of cases in a general list, which required balancing efficiency and time.
“I like to think that I handle things my way as it is my courtroom and I am responsible for making the decisions,” Ms Panangiotidis said.
“But I really do just turn up take my lead from the incredibly well-oiled machine that is the administration arm of the court.
“I have had a very interesting life and seen and experienced many things I probably would have missed out on had I taken up dad’s suggestion of becoming a pharmacist.”
Ms Panagiotidis said there was a different culture at every location magistrates were assigned to which helped inform decision-making.
“We deal with people in the community who live their lives as best they can,” she said.
“Some are affected by poverty, some by drugs. Violence is an enormous problem in every community.
“Civil disputes are not dissimilar in the country from those that magistrates see in the city and suburbs.”
While she enjoys serving the Limestone Coast, Ms Panagiotidis does not intend her stay to become long-term as she has close family in Adelaide.
“I also have a busy social life there which I will happily return to when the time comes,” she said.
