Court rules judicial roles in administrative bodies unconstitutional

Greece's Council of State has ruled that it is unconstitutional to assign judges to single-member administrative bodies.

The decision, made by a 13-12 margin, centered on a case involving an asylum seeker whose application was rejected by a single-member Refugee Appeals Board. The court ruled that Article 89(2) of the Constitution prohibits judges from performing administrative functions, even those with adjudicative or disciplinary powers.

To allow for compliance, the ruling will take effect upon its publication in April, giving the authorities time to restructure administrative bodies, including the asylum appeals committees.