Greece
Criminal investigations in Greece
The prosecutor directs and supervises the investigation; an examining magistrate conducts the judicial investigation of felonies; the police investigate under that supervision.
Facts on this page were checked against their sources on .
Criminal investigation in Greece is directed by the magistracy. The prosecutor's duties include initiating criminal proceedings, carrying out preliminary investigations, and supervising the law-enforcement authorities (e-Justice); the police act as investigative organs under that supervision. For felonies, the judicial investigation is conducted by an examining magistrate (ανακριτής), the "competent examining magistrate" the Constitution refers to among the guarantees on arrest and detention (Article 6).
The same idea, explained generally
- What is a criminal investigation?
A criminal investigation is a legally authorised process for establishing whether an offence occurred and gathering evidence that can be tested in court. This guide explains its structure, safeguards, and known failure modes.
- What is due process?
Due process is the requirement that the state follow fair, established procedures before it takes action against a person. This guide explains what it typically includes and how it differs between systems.
Sources
Sources
Constitution of Greece (1975, as amended through 2008) — English translation
Comparative Constitutions Project (Constitute) · Legislation · 1975-06-11 · link verified 2026-07-26
The Comparative Constitutions Project (Constitute) English translation of the Greek Constitution (in force 11 June 1975, as amended through 2008), fetched as a PDF and text-extracted; load-bearing articles confirmed verbatim (Art. 93§4 and Art. 105 re-confirmed by hand at authoring time). This is an UNOFFICIAL translation — the Hellenic Parliament's own official English PDF returned HTTP 403 — so it is cross-checked against the current EU e-Justice portal, and the Greek text is authoritative. Supports Art. 26 (separation of powers); Art. 87–88 (judicial and prosecutorial independence, life appointment of magistrates by presidential decree); Art. 93§4 ("The courts shall be bound not to apply a statute whose content is contrary to the Constitution" — diffuse constitutional review); Art. 94–95 (the administrative courts and the Council of State as Supreme Administrative Court); Art. 96–97 (criminal, jury and military courts); Art. 98 (the Court of Audit, whose judgments are not subject to the Supreme Administrative Court — a co-equal apex); Art. 100 (the Special Highest Court — a conflict-resolving court, not a standing constitutional court); Art. 101–102 (unitary decentralisation); Art. 103§9 (the Ombudsman as an independent authority); and Art. 105 (Mount Athos as a self-governed part of the Greek State, with the State exclusively responsible for public order and security).
Types of legal professions — Greece (European e-Justice Portal)
European Commission (European e-Justice Portal) · International organisation · link verified 2026-07-26
The European Commission's e-Justice portal page on Greece's legal professions, read directly and re-confirmed. Supports that "public prosecutor's offices (eisangelíes) belong to the 'judicial branch' of government and participate in the administration of justice" and that "public prosecutors (eisangeleís) enjoy operational and personal independence"; that a prosecutor's duties include initiating criminal proceedings, supervising investigations, carrying out preliminary investigations, and supervising the law-enforcement authorities; and that "the Ministry of Justice is responsible for public prosecutors' general conditions of service" (service conditions only, not the direction of prosecutorial decisions).