Calls for judges to face strict evaluation
The government is considering introducing evaluation and training for judicial officials to ensure that their rise through the ranks of the judiciary is dependent on their abilities, Kathimerini understands.
Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammanos, a former head of the Council of State, is among those in favor of a change to the current system, with the introduction of strict evaluation standards for judges so that their advancement is not purely based on their time served but is also on merit. The judiciary must be protected as a way of safeguarding the economy too, he said, as the government eyes the creation of special court sections to prioritize hearings relating to important investments.
The changes being drafted by the Justice Ministry are regarded as crucial both to improve the quality of the judicial system and to speed up the dispensation of justice, an area in which Greece continues to trail many European countries.
According to Pikrammenos, judicial officials should receive training in specialist areas of the law and be examined, with those passing tests successfully being prioritized for promotions.
Supreme Court prosecutor Vassilis Pliotas has also called for the evaluation of judicial officials, saying that it should be “fundamental, strict and in-depth.” He proposed that the evaluation for senior judges, above the appeals court level, should be conducted by a three-member committee, and not just an individual judicial official, as is the case today.
Earlier this month, a lack of interest led to 22 vacancies for the Supreme Court being filled by the candidates who applied, leaving no scope for evaluation.
