Association of Greek Judges and Prosecutors: Judges and prosecutors should not be “unfairly blamed for the failures and weaknesses of other state services.”

Full statement:

“A series of reports published yesterday contained significant inaccuracies regarding the functioning of summary proceedings in our country. It was essentially questioned whether summary proceedings actually take place and function normally on Saturdays and public holidays, falsely suggesting that the adjudication of on-the-spot offenses is hindered for this reason.

We remind the so-called ‘experienced’ legal affairs journalists, that a quick review of the facts shows summary court panels, under Supreme Court-approved regulations, regularly hear cases every Saturday. Judges and prosecutors perform their duties on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays and there is no instance where someone arrested for an on-the-spot offense is released without prior prosecutorial or judicial review.

The Code of Criminal Procedure clearly allows for scheduling an extraordinary court session on the same day or the next if the court does not convene on the day a detainee is brought before the prosecutor. This ensures that the absence of a Sunday session does not, under any circumstances, hinder the referral of a detainee to the appropriate court under summary proceedings.

We insist that the reality of our work is not misrepresented, nor should we become an easy target to deflect attention from the shortcomings and failures of other state services.”

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