Judges? strikes crippling courts

Ongoing strike action by judges, who object to the government?s plans to slash their salaries, has crippled the country?s courts, which had been struggling anyway due to staff shortages and cutbacks, Kathimerini understands.

Walkouts by judges and prosecutors in the past two months have led to additional delays in the dispensation of justice ? already laboriously slow ? with criminal, administrative and civil cases piling up to unprecedented levels. First instance courts are said to be the most neglected, with judges and prosecutors reportedly making increasingly rare appearances.

A recent decision by the country?s judges and prosecutors to extend their protest to November 10 prompted an angry response from Supreme Court prosecutor Yiannis Tentes, who described the action as unconstitutional.