Bid to ease pressure on courts
Legislation is being prepared that would allow lawyers and notaries to deal with numerous civil matters so they do not have to end up in Greece?s courts, which are overburdened with a case backlog.
The European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, commonly known as the troika, have stepped up the pressure on the government to take steps to speed up the dispensation of justice, which is a vital factor in the country?s public administration.
As a result, the government is now examining the possibility of allowing more matters to be settled out of court by trained lawyers and to allow notaries to issue judgments on some matters. Although the latter idea has prompted the anger of lawyers, who are threatening to go on strike, the backlog of cases building up at Greek courts means that some kind of action is needed.
There are currently some 465,000 cases outstanding just at administrative courts. These include some 165,000 tax cases. Also, this year alone, more than 1 million lawsuits have been submitted, 330,000 of which were in Athens.
Among the matters that could be settled out of court are labor disputes and custody battles. Notaries could be asked to rule on issues such as inheritance and mortgage applications.
