PUBLICATIONS

 

LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN GREECE

Legal representation is only provided in Greece by lawyers.

CIVIL MATTERS

At the beginning of his career every lawyer is appointed to a certain Court of First Instance (=Protodikio, e. g. Thessaloniki) which gives him the right to appear before all Courts of First Instance as well as before all inferior Courts of First Instance (=Irinodikio = Justice of the Peace) in Greece. After four years of faultless practice the lawyer can be appointed (=promoted) to the District Court of Appeal which entitles him to appear before all Courts of Appeal in Greece and all inferior courts. After another four years' time of faultless practice before the Court of Appeal the lawyer can be appointed (=promoted) to the Supreme Court of Greece in Athens (=Arios Pagos) which then empowers him to appear before all courts in Greece.

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

The above mentioned appointment / judicial representation system is valid as far as administrative matters before the administrative courts and the Council of State (the Supreme Administrative Court) are concerned.

PENAL MATTERS

In penal matters total freedom in judicial representation of the client is granted to the lawyer from the day of his first appointment. In his first week of practice a lawyer can thus (theoretically) appear before the Supreme Court in Athens or before any other court in any part of Greece.