They seek cheaper Justice but they do not attend Court!

Ten bar associations in the country have appealed to the State Council and ask to have the 1000% fee for lawsuits, as well as the 500% fee for civil action, declared as unconstitutional.

The appeal was signed by the bar associations of Ioannina, Arta, Syros, Kos, Chios, Aigio, Lamia, Florina, Katerini and Alexandroupolis.

The associations argue that the decision made by the Ministers of Economy and Justice, which was adapted to raise the fee from 10 to 100 euros for lawsuits and from 10 to 50 euros for civil actions, are against the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the International Agreement on Civil and Political Rights.

They mention that the lawsuit fee is a tax, while it makes it even harder to prosecute crime in a civil and democratic lawful society, especially at the expense of economically disadvantaged citizens.

According to the associations a citizen, especially one who has been the victim of an unlawful act, cannot be expected to pay the state a specific amount - especially such a high one - in order for the state to perform its obligation, which is none other than the prosecution of crime and the enforcement of the law.

The bar associations, citing a number of constitutional articles, stressed the fact that the raising of fees and taxes is not directly linked to any Greek citizen’s ability to pay said taxes, but equally applicable is “the right of access to court in affairs of a criminal nature”, a fact which discriminates against low-income citizens.

Meanwhile, until February the 25th, lawyers throughout the country will continue to abstain from their duties as lawyers, except for those in Athens and Piraeus, in protest against the contents of the deregulation bill.

The decision was made by the House of Bar Associations of the country. It was also decided that next Wednesday, February 23rd, all Bar Associations will join the nationwide 24-hour strike of ADEDY and GSEE.

Even the chairman of the Thessaloniki Bar Association, M. Lamtzidis, was authorized by members of the association itself, to directly request from the Ministry of Finance a written clarification on the tax treatment of attorneys’ fees, after the bill has been passed.

They want a solution for immigrants.

The House also intervened on the matter of immigrants, seeking effective responses on the matter of the 300 hunger striking immigrants in both Athens and Thessaloniki. A delegation even visited the immigrants who are residing in the Hypatia mansion and are on an ongoing hunger strike.

“Greek lawyers do not distinguish between Greeks, Europeans or Africans, but above all they see human beings suffering, people with rights guaranteed by international conventions and documents of the UN”, said Lamtzidis, emphasizing that lawyers will help raise the awareness of the state and the public in order to address the problem in its proper form.