and medium-term actions spanning the forthcom-
ing years until 2015. The new
Integrated Case
Management System in all judicial procedures
will dematerialise the case flow and other func-
tions before the Courts, thus promoting the idea
of a “paperless trial”. In the same context, a new
e-filing system for all legal remedies has been
successfully launched in the Council of State and
the Courts of First Instance in Athens and
Thessaloniki, serving as “model systems” for
other judicial units.
The Ministry has also created a
uniform web
management application for the Magistrates’
Courts
, the first grade of Civil Justice in Greece.
In addition, the development of a new System for
the Digital Recording of the Minutes of all Greek
Courts is currently forwarded through certain PPP
channels, while the new
National Criminal
Record
will be soon finalized, bringing together
all decentralised records in a unified digital data-
base. Moreover, E-Justice involves newly-adopt-
ed technical solutions such as
videoconference
in Courts
or the
electronic surveillance
method for convicted persons
.
III. Alternative Dispute Resolution
The government actively supports and promotes
alternative methods of resolving private disputes.
The establishment of effective ADR systems in
Greece will lead to multiple beneficial results, by
relieving the excessive burden of the Courts and
by providing an efficient, fast, cost-saving and
conciliatory way of resolution.
The Ministry of Justice has set the legislative for-
mula by introducing
mediation in civil and com-
mercial cases
. Today, every citizen or corpora-
tion may seek the assistance of a fully trained and
accredited mediator out of a total number that will
exceed 400 in January 2014. Currently, four certi-
fied Mediators’ Training Centres operate in Athens,
Thessaloniki, Piraeus and Larissa, while significant
entities and bodies, such as the ACCI, establish
modern Mediation Centres to host mediation ses-
sions and help further promote the institution.
Furthermore, a
new pre-trial conciliation sys-
tem
has been introduced before all Courts of First
Instance and Courts of Appeal, as an effective
way to avoid time-consuming litigation. The judge
tries to settle the interests of the parties, with the
first results of implementation being more than
promising (67% success rate).
The government cooperates with the European
Commission for the promotion of mediation and
pre-trial conciliation through the Internet, press
publications, radio and TV messages and a wide
range of conferences and seminars all over
Greece.
Finally, the Ministry of Justice intends on adopting
a system of compulsory mediation in household
insolvency proceedings (L. 3869/2010) and in
Family Law cases, within the context of a modern
Family Court unit currently being designed.
The above three pillars set the pattern of our pol-
icy for the long-awaited reform of Greek Justice.
It is our strong belief that the historic times our
country is going through require radical changes
and innovative solutions.
After all, a modern, rapid, albeit reliable judicial
system is the only way to a stable, viable, anthro-
pocentric development. It is our duty and mission
to transform ideas into action making the Reform
of Justice real.
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