The lawyers’ strike will last until at least January 5, 2024

The plenary meeting of the presidents of the Greek bar associations, meeting today in Athens, in protest against the new tax measures proposes to the 63 bar associations of Greece refrain from work until January 5, 2024.

In addition, lawyers call for the withdrawal of the bill amending the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes and starting a dialogue with a clean slate. Local bar associations will decide on the plenary’s proposal.

In particular, the Plenum of Presidents of the Greek Bar Associations proposes to the country’s 63 Bar Associations that their members abstain until January 5, 2024 from next activity:

• all criminal trials,
• legal assistance and appointments until full payment of compensation due (2023, 20%, deductions of insurance premiums, etc.),
• issuance of payment orders and writs of execution, banks and funds,
• litigation in the interests of the Greek State, NPA, NPI, public sector, with the exception of local authorities,
• acts of alienation and acts concerning lists of distribution of property in connection with insolvency (syndicates, insolvency administrators),
• local election proceedings;
• meetings of the Boards of Directors of general management bodies and the Register of Land Registrars.

The plenum statement states the following:

“The Plenum of Presidents of the Greek Bar Associations, meeting today on 8-12-2023 in Athens, decided: Continues mobilization in defense of the dignity of the legal profession and the institutional role of the lawyer.

We demand that our constant demands be met, namely:

1. Financial questions
2. Re-introducing mandatory representation in contracts,
3. Increasing the VAT exemption threshold for income up to 25,000 euros,
4. Reduction of legal VAT,
5. Complete abolition of business tax
6. Revaluation of the checksum of advance memos,
7. Cancellation of the unemployment contribution of 120 euros for OAED
8. Increasing fees for hired public sector lawyers.
9. Legal assistance
10. Immediate payment of all outstanding legal aid fees
11. Withdrawal of the bill on amendments to the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes and starting the dialogue from scratch.
12. Judicial Charter – preservation of the country’s existing trial courts and appellate courts.
13. Vulnerable borrowers.
    Protecting the first home of vulnerable borrowers. Application of a code of conduct by debt collection agencies. Elimination of misconduct. Respect for lawyers and borrowers. Cancellation of unfreezing of funds and 10% deposit to suspend the auction.

In this regard, the Plenum decided:

1. Appeal the provisions of the new tax legislation in the competent courts.
2. Invite the boards of directors of the country’s bar associations, as a general minimum action for all bar associations, to abstain from voting by their members:
   • From participation in all criminal proceedings.
   • From legal assistance and ex officio appointments to full payment of compensation due (2023, 20%, deductions of insurance premiums, etc.).
   • From issuing payment orders and enforcement actions, banks and funds.
   • From legal actions in the interests of the Greek state, NPAs, NPIs, public sector, with the exception of local authorities.
   • From acts of sale and acts related to the distribution of insolvency lists (syndicates, insolvency administrators).
   • From proceedings regarding local elections.
   • From meetings of the Boards of Directors of general management bodies and the Register of Land Cadastre Registrars.

In addition to the above minimum joint actions, the bar institutions will decide on other forms of mobilization that they will consider.

The strike period is set until 5-1-2024.

The Plenary Assembly will meet on Thursday 4-1-2024 to decide whether to extend the protest.

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