Giorgos Floridis

Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis hailed what he called the "most impactful reform" in the judicial sector during the unveiling of a new judicial map. The draft legislation has been made available for public consultation until April 18.

A claim by Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis on Wednesday that one of the reasons why the site of last year's railway disaster in Tempe was covered up shortly after the accident was because a gas pipeline runs directly beneath it was dismissed as a "lie" by an opposition MP.

A prosecutor's recommendations for the chief suspect in the case of an Athens girl, who was sexually abused and forced into prostitution when she was 12 years old, spurred tension in Parliament on Thursday, as a protest rally was planned to take place in the city center.

Parliament on Thursday ratified the new criminal code bill drafted by the Justice Ministry after a two-day acrimonious debate between the government and the opposition.

The poor performance of the Greek judicial system in administering justice and all that entails for citizens' rights, the economy and investments are, experts stress, directly related to its incomplete digitalization, lagging behind the EU and many other countries.

The gap in the security of the courthouse in Thessaloniki where a parcel bomb sent to a senior judge was found and defused on Monday was "quite serious," Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis said on Tuesday.

Draft laws on same-sex marriage and on reforming the court system will be on the agenda for discussion by the cabinet on Wednesday. 

State Minister Akis Skertsos is set to present the bill on marriage equality while Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis and Deputy Minister Yiannis Bougas will present a bill on judicial reforms.

The government is attempting to make broad changes to the criminal sanctions system and the conduct of criminal trials in a bill currently under public consultation.

The bill, which has five pillars, follows the failed change to the criminal codes before the 2019 elections and the interim partial improvements to key provisions.

The Greek government will announce on Monday its decisions on how to tackle the perennial problem of sports-related violence, following the serious injury of a police officer in clashes with hooligans during a volleyball match earlier this week.

In an effort to ensure the effective implementation of its announced reforms in the field of criminal justice - particularly the regulation stating that penalties exceeding three years, for all offenses, will now be served - the government is working on a plan to establish new prisons nationwide.