| Περίληψη: | This chapter examines one particular aspect of the Greek courts: the time they need to dispose cases.<br/>As an indirect measure for the time needed to dispose cases, we use the ratio of cases remaining at<br/>the end of the year to total cases introduced. Using this metric, we document a steady increase in the<br/>time needed to dispose cases. Furthermore, we examine whether staffing with respect to caseload,<br/>and especially the lack of sufficient staffing for a given caseload, is a factor that contributes to the<br/>slow disposition of cases in Greek courts. The data suggest that the ratio of staff to total number of<br/>cases affects the time needed to dispose of cases in appeals courts and higher civil trial courts, but<br/>not in lower civil trial courts or administrative courts. Therefore, the recommendation of the existing<br/>literature, which mainly follows from the analysis of first instance courts, to emphasize measures that<br/>simplify procedures and lead to an increase in accountability and competition, should be adopted, at<br/>least for courts of first instance. For appeals courts, our results suggest that the improvement of the<br/>staff to case ratio may be paired with such measures, while the improvement of the quality of first<br/>instance rulings may reduce the appeals rate. The available data is also used to present the steady<br/>increase in the appeals rate and the lack of a reaction to the documented increase in the budget of the<br/>Ministry of Justice.
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