The government is considering introducing a voluntary retirement scheme for members of the judiciary in a bid to help improve its efficiency, senior Justice Ministry sources told Kathimerini.

The retirement scheme will offer judges and prosecutors who want to quit their duties an opportunity to leave.

The government is currently in the process of rooting out corruption in the judiciary, in an investigation which Justice Minister Anastassis Papaligouras admitted recently has gone deeper than first thought.

The judicial system will benefit only if this cleanup process includes a retirement scheme and promotes new judges who have the training and the will to work, the source added.The Supreme Court is expected to assess the applications of staff electing to take up the offer in order to stem the outflow of judges who are still regarded as productive.

The source added that a relatively low number of employees are expected to take up the offer.