Supreme Court chief heads for new rift over age limit

A fresh initiative by Supreme Court president Vassiliki Thanou to extend the age limit for Greek judges beyond the current maximum of 67 years has prompted a fresh rift within the Greek judiciary.

Despite protests by the main union representing Greek judges, the political opposition and Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis, Thanou is to convene the Supreme Court’s administrative plenary session on Thursday to discuss the issue.

In a statement released at the end of last week, the Union of Judges and Prosecutors referred to “unconstitutional initiatives that harm the integrity of the judiciary and its functionaries.”

At 66, Thanou would be obliged to retire this year under the current provisions of the Constitution.

The union has asked Kontonis to intervene in order to “guard and protect the Constitution.”