Chief Justice's desperate plea for crossing on Gouger St after lawyer struck

SA’s Chief Justice warned about a dangerous CBD road two years before someone was hit by a car. Now he’s issued a desperate plea to the city council.

South Australia’s Chief Justice has revealed his “guilt” for failing to follow up on a traffic request after a barrister was hit by a car at the exact spot he warned needed protection two years earlier.

Chris Kourakis appealed to Adelaide City Council at its meeting Tuesday night to progress with its plans to install a zebra crossing near the court houses on Gouger St, as part of its $15m rejuvenation plan.

It comes as a 145-signatory petition was lodged with the council calling on the plan – which was still being finalised – to remove the proposed crossing and new median to allow for a right turn from Gouger St on to Mill St.

A proposed zebra crossing on Gouger Street is a point of contention. Picture: Adelaide City Council

Chief Justice Kourakis told the meeting he had written to the council in 2021 about the need for a formal crossing to link the Samuel Way District Court building and the Supreme Court, near Victoria Square.

“About two years later I was told a barrister had been hit by a car and he’d been rushed to hospital and it was suspected he had suffered head injuries,” he said in a deputation.

Chief Justice Chris Kourakis. Picture: Dean Martin

“I can’t describe to you the sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach when I heard that news and describe how guilty I felt that for two years I had not followed up on that letter.

“I’m here tonight because I want to be able to say I did everything I possibly could to ensure the safety of pedestrians on Gouger St and … because I do not want anyone in this chamber to experience the sense of responsibility I experienced in 2023.”

The new Gouger St revitalisation plan includes wider footpaths for outdoor dining. Picture: Adelaide City Council

More trees have also been included in the design, which was at 70 per cent completion. Picture: Adelaide City Council

Chief Justice Kourakis said there were 700 employees working across the two buildings and converting a “very informal crossing” into a zebra crossing would mean pedestrians did not cross with a “false sense of security”.

“Courts when they consider negligence cases apply what’s called the shirt calculus, they look at the level of risk and balance it against the burden of the safety measure,” he said.

“In this case the level of risk in a car hitting a pedestrian is obvious and is great. It appears to me that the burden is just a few seconds, or at most a few minutes delay.”

The council’s city infrastructure director, Tom McCready, told a meeting earlier this month the volume of people using the informal crossing – a total of about 700 people at peak times – warranted a zebra crossing.

The street design – at 70 per cent completion – included widened footpaths and more trees but only 79 car spaces, two fewer than in the original concept plan.

The final design was expected early next year with works beginning in the 2025/26 financial year.

Originally published as Chief Justice's desperate plea for crossing on Gouger St after lawyer struck