A series of proposals for the more substantial and active participation of the IBA in the defence of the Rule of Law were presented at the event “The Rule of Law & Justice – The Role of Lawyers” held yesterday by the IBA’s faction “With the Lawyer”.

The event was held at the Theocharakis Foundation and was attended by more than 200 lawyers.

Speakers included the head of the “With the Lawyer” Dimitris Anastasopoulos faction, the former President of the IAA Dimitris Paxinos, the professor of constitutional law of the Athens Law School Spyros Vlahopoulos and the former Counsel of the IAA, Athens Lawyer, Vassilis Papastergiou. The event was coordinated by the journalist Panagiotis Stathis.

The event was also honored with the presence of the President of the IAA Dimitris Vervesos, the President of the Thessaloniki Board of Directors Dimitris Finokaliotis, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice Pelops Laskos, the Vice President of the IAA Marinetta Gounari, the former Vice President of the IAA and IAA Advisor Thodoris Mantas, the Advisors and former members of the Board of Directors of the IAA. Secretary of the Ministry of Justice Panos Alexandris, the Emeritus Professors of the Law School of Athens Ioannis Drossos and Leonidas Kotsalis and the distinguished criminal lawyer Polychronis Tsiridis.

The common thread of all the presentations was the admission that Greece is a State of Law, but with a number of challenges and issues that it will have to face. Dimitris Paxinos, the former President of the IOA, highlighted in particular the historical responsibility and contribution of lawyers in the defence of the Rule of Law. Constitutionalist Spyros Vlahopoulos, among others, stressed the need to upgrade the institution of the Presidency of the Republic and the institutional armouring of the leadership of the Judiciary. Vassilis Papastergiou referred in detail to a number of issues that shake the rule of law in our country.

Dimitris Anastasopoulos, the leader of the party, after referring to the long-standing contribution of the bar in defending the rule of law, pointed out the significant steps of progress that have been made in recent years. At the same time, he referred to a number of areas where the rule of law is being tested in our country, such as the inhuman conditions prevailing in police detention centres and prisons, the legal uncertainty that prevails in many cases, such as in the case of the NOC, the polygamy and the constant legislative changes.

He stressed the need for even “more rule of law”, more dialogue among all institutions and restraint in the constant, one-sided and one-sided questioning of justice, as he pointed out that if we stop believing in justice, there will be nothing left to rely on. And it is especially our weakest citizens who will pay the price.

Finally, he presented a series of proposals for a more substantial and active participation of the IOA in the defence of the rule of law, such as the creation of a watchdog with the cooperation of the judicial associations, the CCBE and other institutional bodies. The effective activation and operation of the Constitutional & Civil Rights Committee of the SAA. And the opening to society, creating a channel for receiving petitions and complaints from citizens, setting up a register of lawyers to deal with these cases.