The upcoming amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) were the focus of a meeting between the President and Secretary General of the Union of Judges and Prosecutors (EDE) and Minister of Justice Giorgos Floridis, as well as Deputy Minister Ioannis Bougas. Also present was the President of the three-member management council of the Athens Court of First Instance, Christoforos Linos.

During the meeting, an in-depth discussion took place regarding the proposed changes to the CCP. The EDE expressed opposition particularly to the amendment of Article 307 CCP, which would reduce the deadlines for issuing judgments and establish a procedure for informing the inspectorate and parties about delays. The EDE argued that this would introduce unnecessary bureaucracy, expose judges’ personal data, and burden judicial work and independence by making judges constantly accountable.

Additionally, the Union expressed concerns over the proposed pre-screening procedure in Article 237 CCP, which would include reviewing the vagueness and legal groundlessness of cases. They also opposed increasing the jurisdictional threshold of the Multi-Member Court of First Instance for appeals.

The EDE reiterated its firm belief that organized judicial mediation is essential to relieve the civil court system.

Further concerns were raised regarding the proposed changes in Article 215 CCP, related to the immediate scheduling of court hearings and the rescheduling of objections. The Union warned this would lead to multiple court dockets and significantly increase the per-judge caseload, for which preventative measures should be taken now.

According to the EDE’s announcement, Ministers Floridis and Bougas “carefully listened to our positions and initially agreed that the pre-screening of court filings should not include assessments of vagueness or legal groundlessness, but only elements of admissibility and formal deficiencies. They also acknowledged our concerns about judgment deadlines and the expanded jurisdiction of the Multi-Member Court of First Instance, and committed to proposing an alternative solution.”

They further announced their intention to immediately establish an independent judicial mediation institution, responding to a long-standing demand of the judiciary. They also expressed a strong commitment to ensuring that the implementation of the new system and the allocation of cases in consolidated courts will maintain current per-judge caseload levels.

Finally, the Ministry accepted the EDE’s request for an amendment to the Judicial Organization Code to safeguard the current annual per-judge caseload, respecting the regulations established by the judicial bodies.

OPEKEPE (Greek Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid)
In light of recent developments at OPEKEPE—specifically the end of tenure of its Chairman, Nikolaos Salatas, by decision of Minister of Rural Development Kostas Tsiaras—the EDE reiterated its long-standing demand to prohibit retired judges from holding public office after retirement.

The EDE stated:

“The appointment of retired judges to positions dependent on each government only increases public mistrust toward both politicians and the judiciary. No one can convincingly argue that such appointments are based solely on merit and not on the judge’s behavior while in service. The times demand that we stop speaking in half-measures and align with the people’s demand to uproot this issue entirely.”