Council of State
Europe
Turkish Court Postpones Decision on Status of Hagia Sophia
The Turkish Council of State - the country's highest administrative body - delayed a decision on whether the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople can be converted into a mosque on Thursday.
After a hearing lasting just 17 minutes, the body said...
Crime
Athanasios Rantos Elected New President of Greece's Council of State
The Greek cabinet, following the proposal of Justice Minister Costas Tsiaras, has named Athanasios Rantos to be the next President of the Council of State, Greece's Supreme Administrative Court.
Rantos is currently the oldest vice president on the Council.
Born in...
Crime
Russian Bitcoin Laundering Suspect Alexander Vinnik to Be Extradited to France
Russian national Alexander Vinnik's extradition to France can now proceed, following a ruling of Greece's Council of State which was published on Thursday.
Vinnik, who was arrested in northern Greece in July of 2017, is currently sought by authorities in the...
Greece
Greek Business Association Appeals Smoking Law at Supreme Court
PASKEDI, Greece's Association of Facilities and Consumers in Catering recently decided to appeal the latest smoking-ban law which has been enforced throughout the country since November of 2019.
The PASKEDI association filed a petition before Greece's Council of State, the...
Diplomacy
Turkish Newspaper Claims Hagia Sophia Could Soon Become a Mosque
A story on the Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak's front page on Tuesday claimed that a recent decision by the Turkish Council of State could be used to convert the famous Hagia Sophia museum into a mosque.
The decision of the...
Greece
Council of State Nullifies Building Permit Given to High-Rise Building Near Acropolis
The Council of State, Greece's Supreme Administrative Court, announced on Friday that it is canceling the approval of a building permit for the construction of a nine-story hotel with a three-level basement and a roof near the Acropolis.
The issue...
Education
Previous SYRIZA Government's Reforms to Religious Education Ruled Unconstitutional
The Council of State (STE), Greece's highest administrative court, published its ruling on Friday in which it deems the changes to religious education introduced by the previous government as unconstitutional.
The left-wing government of the SYRIZA coalition changed the way religious...
Crime
Austerity Cuts for Civil Servants Are Legal, Says Greece's Top Court
The Council of State, Greece's highest court, ruled on Friday that the austerity cuts imposed on the country's civil servants during the years of the financial crisis were legal. The ruling became public on Monday afternoon.
The decision is limited...
Greece
Greece's Highest Court Bans Smoking in Casinos, Entertainment Venues
The Council of State, Greece's highest court, ruled that smoking be prohibited in casinos and entertainment venues exceeding 300 square meters, annulling a previous law, in a decision made known on Wednesday.
The previous law, following a 2011 ministerial decision,...
Greece
Cohabitation Agreement For LGBT Couples Constitutional, Greece's Council of State Says
Greece's Council of State announced that it has ruled as constitutional and in line with European law legislation the law that extends the cohabitation agreement to gay couples as well.
It rejected as unjustified a call from some church leaders...