Greece’s Ministry of Justice is continuing its reforms of the country’s judicial sector by relieving active judges of their parallel duties in various state services, in an effort to allow them to focus entirely on their primary responsibilities and ensure faster and higher-quality delivery of justice.
Parallel Roles Strain the System
In a system already known for its delayed delivery of justice, hundreds of judges, particularly senior ones, hold multiple positions in various state services, such as disciplinary boards, committees, as well as strategic roles in ministries like Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Interior. This dual workload has raised concerns about efficiency and effectiveness.
For instance, statistics from the Council of State (CoS) reveal that out of 160 judges, 130 are simultaneously engaged in up to three or even four state positions. In the Athens Court of First Instance alone, 120 judges also hold roles outside their primary judicial duties.
Government Reforms
The government, led by Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis, plans to replace active judges in administrative roles with retired, primarily senior ones. This adjustment, which does not conflict with constitutional provisions, will free active judges to focus on court work while leveraging the expertise of retirees in areas such as legislative committees and disciplinary councils.
Additionally, the Ministry of the Interior, under Minister Theodoros Livanios, has begun withdrawing judges from committees and replacing them with members of the Legal Council of the State. Efforts are underway to expand the Legal Council to address gaps created by the reforms.
Long-Term Impact
The reforms aim to streamline the judiciary and public administration, enhancing the efficiency of the judicial system while maintaining the quality of state operations. Leveraging the knowledge of retired judges and redistributing workloads is seen as a necessary step to address long-standing issues of overwork and inefficiency within Greece’s judiciary.
