Greece's Judicial Map Cuts First‑Instance Decision Times by Half

The first 18 months of Greece's Judicial Map reform have halved the average time for first‑instance courts to issue decisions, dropping from 774 days in the 2023‑2024 judicial year to 357 days after implementation. The clearance rate for cases rose above 100 %, reaching 105.1 % as courts processed both new and back‑log cases.

Justice Minister George Floridis and Deputy Minister Ioannis Bougas highlighted the reform's goals: to bring Greece among the EU's five fastest justice systems by 2030 and to align the average decision time with the EU average of around 627 days by 2027. Projections suggest the median decision time could fall to roughly 309 days by early 2026, with large courts in Athens, Thessaloniki and Piraeus showing dramatic reductions in processing times.

The reform relied on the new JustStat information system and follows European Commission CEPEJ methodology, aiming for further digitalisation and the full activation of an Alternative Dispute Resolution code.