“I feel ashamed when and in parliament I even hear party leaders accusing unquestionable and frivolous supreme judicial officers of being honest in pressures of executive power and ready to bend their consciousness and sacrifice their moral integrity.” John Bougas During the celebration of St. Dionysius the Areopagite in the Old Parliament.
At the same time, Mr Bougas said: “Greece has been facing the most acute delays in Europe for decades. The items confirm this. In 2022 the average time for the final decision was issued at 1,492 days, more than twice the average of the countries of the Council of Europe, which amounts to 650 days. Four years to make a final decision! Excessive slowness is not just an organizational deficiency. It is essentially a violation of the right to judicial protection. It mainly affects the weaker, and has a negative effect on attracting investment, entrepreneurship and therefore on the development of the national economy. “
Elsewhere in his speech, the Deputy Minister of Justice emphasized that ‘the judge submits only in the law And he is guided exclusively by his conscience “and added:” He is free to form a forensic conviction and to decide objectively and impartially on the case that is resolved before him, relying solely on the facts of the case, without being subject to political pressure or political pressure or politics. “
Our judges, Mr Bougas continued, “have the necessary institutional shield, surrounded by guarantees of personal and functional independence, which gives them the right and at the same time imposes the duty to repel any intervention in their judgments.”
‘I feel ashamed’
He did not fail to emphasize: “I feel ashamed when and in parliament I even hear party leaders accuse unquestionable and frivolous supreme judicial officers of being well -known in pressures of executive power and ready to bend their consciousness and sacrifice their morality.”
Vervesos and postponements
For his part, the President of the Plenary of the Presidents of the Hellenic Bar Associations Dimitris Vervesos stressed that “this year’s celebration of St. Dionysius of Areopagite takes place at a time when institutions are being tested, the problems in the area of justice have been aware of the public and the rights of justice.” A European Commission for Justice 56% of Greek citizens are negative (too little or little) in terms of the independence of Greek justice. This lack of credibility shakes the foundations of democracy and the security of law. “
Mr Vervesos also responded to the positions expressed by the Supreme Court’s president Anastasia Papadopoulou during the conference work, characteristically saying: “One listening to the president of the Supreme Court at the recent conference co -organized by the Supreme Courts with the Supreme Courts with the Supreme Courts. Lawyers, a view that follows with the equally beloved judicial and other circles cause that the overcrowding of lawyers, who produces unnecessary cases, is responsible.
But are things like that? First of all, repeated legislative reforms have focused almost unambiguously on the issue of postponements. The result is that for civil affairs, in the regular process, which is the one in which the longer delays are noted, there are no postponement, while specific procedures allow only one postponement. Similarly, strict criteria for proven violence are now established in criminal cases for postponement due to an Ombudsman.
It is also exulted in the discussion that postponements in criminal cases are given (and) in most cases, especially for crescent evidence and due to hours. Indeed, even with the postponements granted, there are almost always unfamiliar criminal cases postponed due to hours. Consequently, postponement may affect the case in which it is given but does not affect the overall rate of awarding criminal justice. ” In closing, Mr Vervesos pointed out that ‘the recovery of confidence in citizens In the judicial institutions it must be a collective bet, so that the rule of law is not a “empty shirt”, but a lived reality, or – to say it with Elytis’ insurmountable language – “so that the believer of Aeolida can coordinate the indicators of his soul, so that at noon.”
The event was performed with many songs by the choir of the Athens Bar Association under the direction of Chorarchos, lawyer and music professor Dimitris Karouzou.