Greek Judiciary

There are great delays in the meting out of justice in Greece. Shocking incidents like the murder in Thessaloniki are a harsh reminder that such delays are impermissible.

There is a good opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of the separation of powers and of the accountability of politicians to society – openly, boldly, and comprehensively.

It is up to the government to enact a series of reforms that can expedite justice, such as reducing the backlog of cases and streamlining overlapping and contradictory laws

As serious as a crime of which one is accused may be and as emotionally charged as the case in which one is implicated may be, the accused must be treated with the appropriate caution.

The majority report (New Democracy and KINAL, Movement for Change) does not charge Pappas for the felony of bribe-taking but it does charge him with repeated breach of trust.

There have been extreme voices demanding legalisation of gun possession or the re-establishment of the death penalty. In a democracy, all views must be heard and when they are wrong they must be rebutted.

'We must send a message to the younger generations, a message against fascism,” said 69-year old Sophia. “It’s our duty to democracy to be here today, to show we are standing up against such criminal actions.'

Certainly individuals who have been implicated such as [former digital policy minister Nikos] Pappas and [former alternate justice minister Dimitris] Papangelopoulos must testify.

The decision of the Highest Administrative Court reminds us that the insurance system remains an intractable issue in our country.

Yet there are times when the judiciary is obliged to swiftly adjudicate cases that have rocked public opinion and concern the public interest.

The judiciary cannot perpetually operate in an environment of attacks and pressures.

Obviously no one could imagine such a murderer walking the streets in Cyprus just because the 18-month limit of incarceration expired before a verdict was delivered, as occurs in Greece.

'It should be noted that in the highest echelons of the judiciary everyone knows who Rasputin is but they are afraid of naming him for obvious reasons,' Angelis wrote.

George Gerapetritis, a constitutional law professor and top advisor to Kyriakos Mitsotakis, says that the Presidential Decree approving appointments made by the government can be annulled by the Council of State on constitutional grounds.

In democratic countries attempts to manufacture guilty parties do not go unpunished. Those responsible are held to account by the justice system.

Never since the fall of the seven-year dictatorship, in 1974, have the institutions of democracy been exposed to such strong pressures from the executive.

Simitis has unwittingly been transformed into a symbol of resistance against all those who, armed with fake news and fetid propaganda, dream of becoming the Maduros or Erdogans of Greece.

Corruption cases arise almost everywhere in the world, but they are dealt with institutionally, and not by criminalising political life.

The remarks of Alternate Health Minister Pavlos Polakis to SYRIZA’s central committee about the perceived need for some people to go to jail in order for the party to win the next election are not merely a rhetorical turn of phrase.