The Association of Judges and Prosecutors (EDE) in its announcement it states that the decisions of two Bar Associations of Athens and Ioannina to refrain their members from court meetings, in the compositions of which certain judicial officers participate, “contrary to the Constitution and the laws of our country, as they violate the constitutional principle of the natural judge and are therefore rendered unenforceable.”

In more detail, the EDE in its announcement states:

“In recent years, the conditions for the administration of Justice have been at the center of severe criticism from all the actors of the trial, mainly Judicial Officers and Lawyers, who are called upon to face the judicial daily life under the regime of logistical deficiencies and omissions, understaffing of the secretariats and also a unmanageable volume of cases, especially in the large Courts of the country.

Unfortunately, due to the chronically irresponsible policy in the area of ​​Justice on the part of the State, these conditions lead, more and more, in recent years to conflict situations. It is the responsibility and obligation of all institutional actors, in particular the Administrations of Judicial Formations, Judicial Associations and Bar Associations, to contribute to the creation of a climate of cooperation and understanding and to refrain from actions that lead to confrontations but above all reduce the confidence of the Greek citizen in the Judiciary.

The recent decisions of two Bar Associations, namely those of Athens and Ioannina, to abstain their members from the meetings of Courts, in the composition of which certain Judicial Officers participate, contradict the Constitution and the laws of our country, given that the constitutional principle of the natural Judge and therefore are rendered inapplicable”.