Greece’s relevant justice minister on Tuesday unveiled a major overhaul of the lower court system with an aim to speed up the country’s proverbially “slow wheels of justice” plaguing the sector for decades, if not longer.
The reforms presented by Minister Giorgos Floridis envisage the unification of district (low level) courts with first instance courts, as well as the inclusion of justices serving at the former level in the advanced corps of bench jurists.
Border areas and certain islands will be excluded from the unification measure.
Among others, 1,000 district judges will also be retrained and certified in order to adjudicate over criminal proceedings.
Floridis said the goal is to lower the average length of time needed for a lower court to hand down a decision from the current – and mindboggling – 1,482 days to 900 days, a period still hovering at a two-and-a-half years.
The announced measures and reforms are based on a World Bank study, with the latter institution, in fact, serving as a consultant to the Greek government.
“This new charter is an engine for reforms in the sector, it will provide an impetus and gauge the efficiency of other reforms and interventions, which are evolving and which will contribute to a new era Greece’s justice system,” Floridis said.
