Greece’s new Judicial Map has shown a significant positive impact on speeding up the judicial process, one year after its implementation, according to Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis. Presenting recent statistics, Floridis highlighted that the average time for a first-instance court decision has fallen from 705 days to 364 days nationwide.

The most notable reduction was recorded at the Athens Court of First Instance, the largest in the European Union, where the average time for issuing decisions dropped from 1,422 days to 513. Similar improvements were reported at the courts in Thessaloniki and Piraeus. Overall, most first-instance courts now resolve cases within an estimated 280 days.

Floridis noted that further reforms, including the new Civil Procedure Code, additional judicial appointments, and the creation of a criminal division at the Athens Court of Appeal, are expected to accelerate case resolutions even more. Thousands of long-pending cases, over 300,000, are now being resolved faster as responsibilities have shifted to lawyers and notaries.

The Judicial Map also consolidated courts nationwide, abolishing 120 minor courts and integrating approximately 960 into the main judicial framework. Athens now has 740 judges across two main court buildings, reflecting the reforms’ impact.

Officials, including the heads of the courts in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Piraeus, as well as former justice ministers and legal experts, attended the presentation, emphasizing the lasting benefits of these reforms for Greece’s judicial system.