Plaintiffs who file grossly inflated or manifestly unfounded lawsuits as a tool of economic and judicial pressure—against journalists, NGOs, businesses, or other individuals engaged in matters of public interest—face heavy financial consequences and steep fines under a new bill introduced by Greece’s Ministry of Justice.
A price tag on abusive litigation
This legislation marks the first time Greece has set a specific monetary penalty for abusive lawsuits. It introduces a financial sanction of up to 1% of the amount claimed by the plaintiff. When the dispute is non-monetary, the fine is fixed at €5,000. The sum becomes public revenue, is certified by the competent tax authority, and is collected under the Public Revenue Collection Code.
How the penalty scales
The financial dimension of this reform is significant. Until now, large monetary claims were often the primary weapon of pressure wielded by plaintiffs. Under the new rule, the higher the claim, the greater the potential penalty—if the court determines the action was abusive. For example: a €100,000 claim could trigger a €1,000 fine; a €500,000 claim, a €5,000 fine; and a €1 million claim, a €10,000 fine.
While these amounts may not be prohibitive for financially powerful plaintiffs on their own, they apply cumulatively alongside other costs mandated by the bill.
The full cost burden on the plaintiff
Courts will be empowered to order the losing plaintiff to cover all necessary defense expenses incurred by the defendant—including legal and expert advisory fees—while also considering the financial capacity of both parties.
Crucially, this liability may still apply even if the plaintiff attempts to withdraw the lawsuit, reduce the monetary claim, or retract procedural actions. This aims to close a loophole where lawsuits are initially filed to exert pressure—and later withdrawn after already inflicting substantial legal and professional costs on the defendant.
Additional costs may arise from publication of the court ruling: judges may order the decision to be published in two national daily newspapers and on their websites, with the full expense borne by the plaintiff.
When is a lawsuit considered abusive?
The new framework applies to private disputes before civil courts—including both cross-border and purely domestic cases—but excludes tax, customs, administrative, criminal proceedings, and arbitration.
Indicators of abusive litigation include: an excessive or irrational claim amount; filing multiple similar lawsuits; intimidation or threats against the defendant; and bad-faith use of procedural tactics aimed at delaying proceedings or exhausting the defendant financially.
The defendant may request outright dismissal of the case at an early stage.