By Ioanna Mandrou

“Justice that is delivered with delay tends to be non-Justice” emphasizes in a message ahead of the new judicial year, the President of the Supreme Court Ioanna Klapaaddressed to all the judges of the whole country.

The President of the Supreme Court notes, among other things, referring to the institutional role of judges:

“We exist for the correct, reasoned and timely provision of legal protection to the citizen, who is the center of the judicial system and expects from us impartial, well-founded, reasoned and timely decisions. Justice, which is delivered with delay, or even, with
sloppiness and indifference, tends not to be Justice.’

The prestige of the institution

From the side of Prosecutor of the Supreme Court Georgia Adelini in her message to prosecutors throughout the country, she refers to the need for prosecutors to respond to their duties with sobriety and responsibility, in order to preserve the prestige of the prosecutorial institution, noting, among other things, as she emphasizes, “The way of performing our duties with sobriety, decency , determination and impartiality, especially with absolute devotion to the Constitution and the laws, will strengthen the citizens’ trust in us. And finally, let’s not forget that each one of us represents all of the Prosecutors in the exercise of their duties, in such a way that we also have individual responsibility for the image of the “Prosecutor” in society and the preservation of his prestige prosecutorial institution, which is necessary for the fulfillment of our important mission”.

In her message, the President of the AP Ioanna Klapa also refers to the unfavorable situation determined by the desperate situation of our fellow citizens who were severely tested by fires and floods, emphasizing the role of Justice and judges in these difficult times, noting among other things: We, the Greek Judges, must deal with them, in the exercise of our duties, with directness, courage, determination, with the proper morals, but also with the awareness that our judicial work, at every stage and manifestation of it, encourages the citizens, inspires and shapes social consciousness and, consequently, promotes the prestige of the institution of Justice”.

Also, the President of the Supreme Court does not avoid referring to the pathologies that exist within the judiciary, to the few, as she emphasizes, judges who do not respond to their duty for various reasons, whom she invites to reflect on their course, reflecting that the delay in the administration of justice affects citizens’ rights.

Detailed messages from the leadership of the Supreme Court

The message of the President of the Supreme Court, Ioannas Klapas

As the new judicial year 2023-2024 begins, I sincerely wish everyone personal and family health. As you know, the State entrusted me with the position of President of the Supreme Court, which I assumed with full awareness of the enormous responsibility that this position entails. I look forward to our kind cooperation and the joint effort of all of us, in order to ensure the smooth operation of the Justice, which is an indicator of Democracy and a reflection of the state’s respect for citizens. Our work is heavy, difficult and painful. It demands from each one of us and from the position that he holds, constant extra effort and dedication, with personal and family sacrifices, preparation, diligence, constant information and vigilance, but also anxiety for the correct and timely provision of legal protection, in political and criminal trials, composure and fortitude, so that we express our judicial judgment, in accordance with the Constitution, the laws and based on our judicial conscience, with independence and impartiality. Tragic events have plagued the country in recent months. The environment, the economy and, above all, the very livelihood of a large number of our fellow citizens have been severely affected. Acute situations and serious problems plague modern society, offending non-negotiable legal goods. We, the Greek Judges, must deal with them, in the exercise of our duties, with directness, courage, determination, with the proper morals, but also with the awareness that our judicial work, at every stage and manifestation of it, encourages the citizens, inspires and shapes social consciousness and, consequently, promotes the prestige of the institution of Justice. During my long judicial career, I have formed the belief that the Greek Judicial Officers, in the vast majority of them, respond to their heavy official duties, with competence, efficiency and a high sense of responsibility and do not act in a procedural way, simply exercising a livelihood profession, which provides them security and satisfactory salary. We exist for the right, reasoned and timely provision of legal protection to the citizen, who is the center of the judicial system and expects from us impartial, well-founded, reasoned and timely decisions. Justice, which is delivered with delay, or even, with sloppiness and indifference, tends not to be Justice. We expect, of course, in advance, the assistance of the State and the cooperation of the lawyers, as co-operators of the Justice, to deal with the pathologies and malfunctions, which, proven, are a brake on our efforts. Being fully aware of our own pathologies, which have a direct impact on society, I have to point out – aware of the dissatisfaction of some, certainly a few, colleagues – that those who are unable, for whatever reason, to respond effectively to their heavy judicial duties, have an obligation to reflect in time that their weakness affects the lives of thousands of people, who are waiting for a decision that will determine the lives of themselves and their families and, ultimately, unduly burdens their colleagues, who undertake to process their cases. These colleagues must reflect on their path, on the problems they create in society as a whole and in the service and take, immediately, the decision that will improve their professional and personal life and relieve them of the anxiety that , definitely, it causes the facing of adverse disciplinary consequences. I must also point out, addressing mainly the younger judicial officers, who are at the beginning of their careers, that decency inside and outside the service, politeness and respect for colleagues, advocates, trial agents and citizens in general, it is an obligation that must be strictly observed. The haughty and haughty behavior displayed by some colleagues, the exposure and invocation of judicial status, for the purpose of self-promotion or in the context of social life and serving the needs of living, have the consequence of degrading the prestige of the judiciary and constitute a serious disciplinary offense. Every judicial officer, in the exercise of his judicial work, must judge, calmly, based on the case file he has in his hands, faithful to the Constitution and the laws, ignoring statements, comments or even criticisms, which are made public, in any way and in any medium and concern cases pending before it or about to be adjudicated, even when they are done under the guise of scientific judgment or as an expression of public opinion. Each of us must turn a deaf ear to all kinds of interventions, irresponsible comments, pressures and even targeting us, from whoever they may come from, who, seeking self-promotion or serving interests and expediencies foreign to Justice, insults, unrepentantly, the institutions of democratic state, “intimidates” judges and attempts to manipulate independent and impartial judicial judgment. The above does not apply, of course, when the judicial decisions are commented on, in terms of the correctness of the judicial judgment, based on the law and the procedural rules and indeed by those who have the special knowledge for this, a fact which promotes legal thinking and contributes in improving the administration of justice. Finally, in particular, I salute the judicial officers of the country, our tireless collaborators, who always carry out their duties under difficult conditions, pressure and stress. I wish each one of them health and strength and I hope for the improvement of their working conditions in the new judicial year.

The message of the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court Georgia Adelini

I wish you a good judicial year with health.

As a supervisor of juvenile protection cases I have had the pleasure of working personally with many of you, especially in the first degree and I believe that together we have been able to deal, more often than not successfully, with difficult issues concerning one of the most vulnerable groups in our society, which required coordination of our efforts. Thank you very much for our cooperation. I prefer, moreover, because I know the burden of the first degree in this matter, to ensure that, with the corresponding provision in all the Regulations of the Internal Operation of the Appellate Prosecutors’ Offices of the Country, assistance is provided to Juvenile Prosecutors and from Appellate Prosecutors, who they will supervise the item in question.

My aim is for the cooperation similar to the above to be generalized between all of us in all areas of our competence that concern society, in order to face, working together, any kind of challenge that calls upon the Prosecutor, as guarantor of legality, but also of rights of our fellow human beings, to be vigilant but also to fight on a daily basis, for the enforcement of the law and the protection of the weak.

In particular with regard to our participation in the field of criminal justice, I believe that hard work, the speedy processing of the cases we handle, with proper organization of our time and our actions, so that no more effort is needed than that which everyone undoubtedly pays us on a daily basis, but also the way we carry out our duties with sobriety, decency, determination and impartiality, especially with absolute devotion to the Constitution and the laws, will strengthen the citizens’ trust in us. And finally, let’s not forget that each one of us represents all of the Prosecutors in the exercise of their duties, in such a way that we also have individual responsibility for the image of the “Prosecutor” in society and the preservation of his prestige prosecutorial institution, which is necessary for the fulfillment of our important mission.