The meeting convened yesterday by President Katerina Sakellaropoulou [a former president of the Council of State] with leaders of the judiciary was an initiative aimed at tackling long festering problems.

The exchange of views between judicial functionaries is not something that can be taken for granted, but it is necessary in order to address chronic dysfunctions that bedevil the judiciary.

The discussion of current affairs might have lent a different character to this closed meeting if those participating allowed it to shape the agenda, turning attention elsewhere.

Many cases have drawn the klieg lights of media and public attention, with clashes and a breakdown of communication between various levels of the judiciary, which create major problems both for judicial functionaries and citizens.

The presence of the President of the Republican and her previous post in the judiciary allowed the discussion to focus on diachronic problems and opened the way for further substantial discussion without the president’s mediation.

When interventions are undertaken in an institutional and structured fashion, there can be great gains in the long term.

If yesterday’s conference serves as a starting point for ending parallel monologues in the judiciary, then the step that was taken, in a period when public trust in institutions has been severely shaken, is exceptionally important.

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