A new OECD report, titled “Justice as a Public Service: Delivering Better Outcomes” (2026), highlights Greece’s strong performance in the fair treatment of citizens, access to tailored support and dispute-resolution mechanisms, according to a press release issued by Minister of State Akis Skertsos and the Ministry of Justice.
The report also highlights Greek initiatives to protect children, combat racism and hate crimes, and digitally transform the justice system.
This is the first comparative application of the OECD’s framework for measuring people-centred justice systems. The assessment examines whether citizens and businesses can identify their legal problems, find appropriate support and secure fair, effective and timely resolution. The analysis is not limited to the operation of courts, but covers citizens’ experience across the full range of available procedures.
Fair treatment and problem resolution
Greece, Lithuania and Poland rank among the highest-performing OECD member countries in terms of citizens’ perception that the process for resolving their problem was fair, regardless of the final outcome.
This measure covers people who completed the process and assessed the treatment they received. The finding is particularly significant given that, at the median across the countries examined, 40% do not consider the process they went through to have been fair.
The report also singles out Greece, along with Poland and Lithuania, for combining relatively high rates of substantive problem resolution with a positive experience of procedural fairness.
Tailored legal support for more than 50%
Greece, Belgium and the Netherlands are the three OECD countries named in the report as having rates of access to tailored assistance or advice of more than 50% among those who need it. The corresponding OECD average is 39%.
This performance is recorded in an area where significant barriers remain internationally: many people can find general information, but struggle to secure the right support for their individual case.
Access to dispute-resolution mechanisms also receives a positive assessment, with Greece among the highest-performing OECD member countries.
The relevant indicator measures whether people who need third-party intervention are able to access an appropriate mechanism, such as a court, administrative body, mediation or another resolution process. The median across the countries examined is just 42%.
People-centred justice and institutional commitment
Greece is among the 14 of the 27 countries assessed on their policies that have formalised their commitment to people-centred justice. In Greece, this commitment is reflected in the Ministry of Justice’s annual planning and action plans.
The report nevertheless identifies scope for more systematic involvement of the judiciary and non-state actors in joint planning. A similar need is noted, among other countries, in France, the United Kingdom and Norway.
Initiatives to protect children and combat racism
The report highlights the implementation of Greek national strategies to combat racism and hate crimes, involving the police, prosecutors and judicial authorities.
Measures include targeted training, dedicated units and action to tackle online hate speech, linking institutional protection with specific implementation tools.
Special mention is also made of the “Just Closer” project, presented as an example of designing justice services around users’ actual needs and, in particular, those of children.
Trained young people, known as “Youth Leaders”, took part in interviews and focus groups with teenagers involved in criminal proceedings in Greece. The research highlighted the difficulties children face in their interactions with the justice system and led to the creation of a practical guide for professionals, specialist training and dedicated police procedures for minors.
Digital transformation of the justice system
Greece is also cited as an example of integrating justice into wider national digital planning through the “Digital Transformation Bible 2020-2025” and the “Digital Transformation Strategy 2021-2027”.
The report recognises the link between technology and the effectiveness and quality of justice services. At the same time, the OECD stresses that the digital transition must be accompanied by meaningful simplification and a redesign of processes around citizens’ needs.
The positive results provide a foundation for continuing reforms, with the aim of making it easier to access appropriate support, resolving disputes more effectively and steadily improving citizens’ experience.
Scope for improvement and next steps
The report notes that there is still room for improvement in every country, as none has made equally advanced progress across all dimensions of people-centred justice.
Internationally, more than four in 10 people face at least one serious legal problem over a two-year period. The median rate of full resolution of such problems is 70%, while access to tailored assistance stands at just 38%, according to the report’s indicators.
The OECD recommends better co-ordination of services, the systematic use of data, dispute prevention, and linking planning and funding to measurable outcomes. A central priority is developing services that meet the needs of different groups of citizens.
For Greece, the positive results and recognised practices provide a basis for further action. The quality of justice is judged by its speed and effectiveness, but also by whether every citizen can exercise their rights and find fair solutions to their problems.
Skertsos: “Strengthening the rule of law requires a plan”
Minister of State Akis Skertsos said after the OECD report was published: “The rule of law affects every citizen’s daily life: the protection of their rights, their equal treatment and their ability to obtain justice without exhausting delays. Strengthening it requires a plan, persistence and continuous evaluation.
The new OECD report adds to a series of international assessments documenting Greece’s progress in recent years: from the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law Report and our improved score on Transparency International’s index to the country’s return to the Economist’s category of full democracies.
In the justice system, this improvement is the tangible result of a specific effort: 25 reforms, including the new judicial map, and 14 investments in digital systems and court buildings, worth more than €650 million, which we included in and implemented through the Recovery Fund. These measures are now delivering results that are also receiving positive assessments internationally. The European Commission itself recognises the first positive results of the new judicial map in speeding up the administration of justice.
We are aware of the weaknesses that remain and how much ground we still have to cover. Positive assessments increase our responsibility to press on, with transparency, accountability and respect for the independence of the justice system.”
Floridis: “Recognition is no reason for complacency”
Justice Minister George Floridis said: “The OECD report Justice as a Public Service: Delivering Better Outcomes highlights the importance of reforms that make justice more accessible, more effective and more responsive to citizens’ needs.
The positive references to Greece, particularly regarding citizens’ perceptions of fair treatment, access to tailored legal support and the development of dispute-resolution mechanisms, are important recognition of the work under way. The report’s highlighting of initiatives for child-friendly justice and its linking of the judicial system with digital transformation confirm that reform is not limited to procedures, but also concerns the quality of services citizens receive.
For us, this recognition is no reason for complacency, but an incentive to continue with consistency. Our aim is a justice system that delivers timely decisions, operates transparently and reliably, and ensures equal access for all.
Citizens’ trust is earned every day through measurable results. We will continue our efforts by that measure, working towards a modern and effective judicial system that lives up to the expectations of Greek society.”
Bougas: “Digitalisation is not an end in itself”
Deputy Justice Minister Yiannis Bougas said: “The OECD report sends a positive message about Greece, highlighting performance in areas that have direct relevance to citizens’ daily lives: fair treatment, access to legal support and the ability to seek solutions when legal disputes arise.
Of particular value is the report’s reference to initiatives that put people at the heart of the administration of justice. Protecting minors, tackling racism and hate crimes, and making use of digital tools together form an area in which institutional progress must translate into tangible benefits for society.
Digitalisation is not an end in itself. It is an essential tool for simplifying procedures, improving services for citizens and facilitating access to justice services. The aim is to reduce barriers, improve access to information and ensure that no one is excluded because of financial, social or other difficulties.
The positive assessments are an encouraging starting point, but the work continues. The challenge is to make institutions even more effective and justice more welcoming, understandable and accessible to every citizen.”