Imperfect justice
The further the scalpel cuts into the ongoing investigation into alleged trial-fixing rings in the judiciary, the more we realize the extent and depth of the corruption in this sector. Indeed, we may all have had an inkling of the strange goings-on in this sensitive area of public life – some of us may even have had personal brushes with «imperfect justice» – but only few of us can have grasped the extent of this problem. Many claim that the probe is just beginning to approach the crux of the matter, now that it has extended to lawyers. After all, it would have been very difficult for allegedly corrupt judges to prosper without the mediation of lawyers, who stand between the judge’s bench and the defendants’ dock. Recent comments by several individuals in responsible positions, including Athens Bar Association President Dimitris Paxinos, suggest that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg in this worrying affair. And many of those in the know suggest that the names being mentioned in connection with the alleged rings are not a comprehensive overview of the total, which allegedly includes some very big names. But it is shocking (if not surprising) that a country in which dozens of anti-corruption squads have been set up to purge public life on various levels has a team of just six inspectors overseeing some 4,000 judges and prosecutors.
