With the goal of placing Greece among the top five European countries for speed of justice delivery by 2030, the Ministry of Justice leadership presented results from the first 18 months of the new Judicial Map’s implementation. The map entered into force in September 2024 through the consolidation of first-instance jurisdiction—abolishing Peace Courts and streamlining approximately 1,000 judicial positions.
Sharp Drop in Time for First-Instance Judgments
According to data released by Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis, civil courts have recorded a significant acceleration in issuing first-instance rulings. In the 2023–2024 judicial year, such rulings took an average of 774 days; that fell to 383 days in 2024–2025—and further down to 357 days after 18 months of the Judicial Map’s application. In other words, the average time needed for a first-instance judgment has dropped from roughly two years to just over one year.
Clearance Rate Surges Past 100%
The case clearance rate—the ratio of resolved to newly filed cases—has shown steady upward momentum. It rose from 86.2% in 2023–2024 (173,714 cases resolved out of 201,479 filed) to 99.6% in 2024–2025 (417,565 resolved out of 415,555 filed). After 18 months under the new system, the rate reached 105.1%: 618,239 cases were resolved against 588,339 newly filed. This means Greek courts are now not only handling all incoming cases annually but also clearing backlogs from previous years.
Aim: 750 Days for Final Civil Judgments
Deputy Justice Minister Ioannis Bougas described the changes as “a new reality—not temporary gains.” He outlined the government’s target: reducing the average time for final civil judgments to 750 days by late 2027. “For us, these aren’t just numbers,” he stressed. “They represent the practical fulfilment of the constitutional mandate for effective legal protection through swift justice.”
Athens Leads with Dramatic Improvement
The most striking improvement is seen at the Athens Court of First Instance—the country’s busiest civil court, handling about half of all civil cases. There, the average time for a first-instance ruling dropped from 1,448 days in 2023–2024 to just 478 days after 18 months—cutting processing time from nearly four years to around 1.5 years.
In the first quarter of 2026, the Athens court’s clearance rate soared to 143.8%, up from 86% in 2023–2024. That means it is not only absorbing all new filings but also reducing its accumulated backlog by 12.7%. Similar improvements are evident across other first-instance courts nationwide: the average judgment time fell from 774 to 256 days, while the clearance rate climbed significantly.