Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law Volume 19 | Issue 1 Article 8 2012 National Report: Greece Alexander G. Fessas Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/jgspl Part of the Family Law Commons, International Law Commons, and the Sexuality and the Law Commons Recommended Citation Fessas, Alexander G. "National Report: Greece." American University Journal of Gender Social Policy and Law 19, no. 1 (2011): 187-209. This Special Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington College of Law Journals & Law Reviews at Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Fessas: National Report: Greece GREECE 2/23/11 3/25/2011 6:57:24 PM NATIONAL REPORT: GREECE ALEXANDER G. FESSAS* I. GENERAL REMARKS The purpose of the present report is to provide insight in regards to the provisions of Greek law on same-sex marriage. As in many other jurisdictions, a more comprehensive work than a simple analysis on the (in)existence of same-sex marriage is required. Indeed, the statement that contemporary Greek family law excludes the possibility of same-sex marriage would not explain to what extent the law so stands today, why it came to be so, or what the future beholds. Similarly, since family law is affected by provisions from other legal fields on both the domestic and the international levels, it should be presented in conjunction to any such provisions. Finally, the application of law should be assessed in light of its construction by scholarly writing and the courts. Based on the above, an introductory section provides information on the structure of the Greek State and the underpinnings of the domestic legal system (Part II); the main part of the report sets out an analysis on focal provisions of the Constitution and international conventions (Part III) and then illustrates how the difference of sex is perceived in the context of the Civil Code provisions on marriage on the one hand, and in the newly- established rules on the cohabitation pact on the other hand (Part IV); it then proceeds with a presentation of recent case law on same-sex marriage regulation (Part V). The report concludes with short remarks on what prospects lie ahead (Part VI). In this report, use of terminology relating to couples, marriages, unions, etc. as of the ‘same-sex’ and/or the ‘opposite sex’—instead of the commonly applied pair of ‘homosexual’ and/or ‘heterosexual’ characterisations—is deliberate. If the law qualifies or disqualifies any such relations it is not on the basis of sexual orientation or preference, but rather on the basis that relations between people of the same sex, i.e. between two women or two men, may or may not be legally recognised. To state the * LL.M. (Athens); Associate, Hellenic Institute of International & Foreign Law; attorney-at-law, Athens Bar. 187 Published by Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law, 2011 1 Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law, Vol. 19, Iss. 1 [2011], Art. 8 GREECE 2/23/11 3/25/2011 6:57:24 PM 188 JOURNAL OF GENDER, SOCIAL POLICY & THE LAW [Vol. 19:1 obvious example, a man is allowed to marry a woman precisely because of the difference in sex and irrespective of his sexual orientation or preference. II. GREEK STATE & THE DOMESTIC LEGAL ORDER A. State Structure Greece is a presidential parliamentary republic, with the current Constitution, enacted in 19751 (hereinafter: Const.) being the supreme law of the land.2 As set out in article 26 Const., legislative, executive and judiciary powers are assigned to different state organs,3 although certain links between the executive and legislative branches necessarily persist. Parliament, a single chamber of 300 members elected by direct popular vote for a four-year term, is the principle organ discharging legislative functions. Introduced upon proposal by either Parliament itself or the Government, a bill is first debated before the competent parliamentary committee and then before the plenum. Having received the necessary number of positive votes and following its promulgation and publication in the Government Gazette, it becomes enacted law. Moreover, legislation is all too regularly produced by means of authority delegated by Parliament to organs of the executive. Thus, a plethora of statutory instruments originate directly from Government and take the form of decrees issued by the President of the Republic.4 The leader of the party winning the majority of seats in Parliament is 1. Constitution of 1975, as amended in 1986, 2001 and 2008. For an overview see P.D. Dagtoglou, Constitutional and administrative law in K.D. Kerameus & P.J. Kozyris (eds), Introduction to Greek law (3rd rev. edn, Alphen aan den Rijn/Athens 2008) 23 et seq.; Ph.C. Spyropoulos & Th.P. Fortsakis, Hellas in A. Alen (ed.), International encyclopedia of laws: Constitutional law (last updated January 2009). For the purposes of the present report, the updated translation of the Constitution in English by X. Paparrigopoulos & St. Vassilouni, The Constitution of Greece (Athens 2008) was consulted; this translation, together with similar ones in French and German, is available online at the website of Parliament, www.parliament.gr (10 March 2010). 2. Constitutional amendments may only be introduced by Parliament following a long and complicated procedure. All provisions are open to amendment, save those determining the form of government as a parliamentary republic, the one providing for the separation of state powers and those guaranteeing certain fundamental rights, i.e. respect and protection of the value of the human being (art. 2); equality (art. 4 paras 1, 4 and 7); free development of personality (art. 5 para. 1); personal freedom (art. 5 para. 3); and freedom of religious conscience (art. 13 para. 1). 3. Art. 26 Const.: “(1). Legislative powers shall be exercised by the Parliament and the President of the Republic. (2). Executive powers shall be exercised by the President of the Republic and the Government. (3). Judicial powers shall be exercised by the courts of law, the decisions of which shall be executed in the name of the Greek People.” 4. The President of the Republic holds the—largely ceremonial—highest State office, and is elected by Parliament for a once-renewable, five-year term. http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/jgspl/vol19/iss1/8 2 Fessas: National Report: Greece GREECE 2/23/11 3/25/2011 6:57:24 PM 2011] NATIONAL REPORT: GREECE 189 appointed Prime Minister, the powerful State figure who is the Head of Government. Ministries, the main division of central government, are responsible for carrying out the general policy of the administration. Government decentralisation is realised through regional authorities functioning under central government supervision. Following the constitutional amendment of 2001, a number of independent and regulatory authorities with consultative function and/or decision-making power have been introduced. The judiciary is composed of courts and public prosecutors. Judicial organisation follows a system of triple court hierarchy, each exercising one of three different jurisdictions (civil, criminal and administrative: arts. 93 et seq. Const.).5 With regards to the civil jurisdiction in particular, courts are further organised in justices of peace, one-member and three-member courts of first instance, courts of appeal and the Areios Pagos court. The latter is the supreme court of both the civil and criminal jurisdictions; its authority, however, extends only over extraordinary review of points of law. Similarly, the Council of State is the supreme court of the administrative jurisdiction.6 The Constitution further provides for a third supreme court, the Court of Audit, which lies outside the hierarchy described above, and finally for the Supreme Special Court that has jurisdiction over specific instances of significant constitutional importance (art. 100 Const.). B. Legal System Greece is a civil-law country, its system closely observing the Romano- Germanic legal tradition. As stated in article 1 of the Civil Code (hereinafter: CC),7 legislation and custom are the sources of law, despite the fact that custom has very limited influence over contemporary Greek law.8 “Legislation,” in the above sense, covers the totality of domestic legislation (i.e. the Constitution, laws, presidential decrees, other normative 5. For a thorough overview, see K.D. Kerameus, Judicial organisation and civil procedure in Kerameus & Kozyris, supra note 1, at 341 et seq. 6. The Council of State’s jurisdiction, inter alia, extends over the annulment upon petition of enforceable administrative acts for excess of power or violation of the law (art. 95 para. 1(a) Const.). 7. Available translations of the CC, in English and French respectively, by C. Taliadoros, Greek Civil Code (Athens 1982; two Supplements, 1983 and 2000) and P. Mamopoulos & M. Tsitseklis-Souriadakis, Code civil hellénique (3rd edn, Hellenic Institute of International and Foreign Law, series no. 22, Athens/Komotini 2000). 8. Art. 1 CC: “Rules of law are contained in the laws and customs.” This provision should be read in conjunction with art. 2 para. 2 Legislative Decree of 07/10 May 1946, prohibiting the operation of custom adversus legem: “Custom cannot abolish law.” Indeed, custom has very limited influence on contemporary Greek law. On the sources of Greek law in general see A. Grammaticaki-Alexiou, Sources and materials in Kerameus & Kozyris, supra note 1, 15 et seq. Published by Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law, 2011 3 Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law, Vol. 19, Iss. 1 [2011], Art. 8 GREECE 2/23/11 3/25/2011 6:57:24 PM 190 JOURNAL OF GENDER, SOCIAL POLICY & THE LAW [Vol.