ABSTRACT
Criminal procedure in Greece bears all the traditional traits of a central European system that has not been oriented towards efficiency. Owing to a backlogged system and delays, resulting in a denial of justice, alternative proceedings were introduced in 2019 to increase the efficiency of the system. This chapter will closely examine abstaining from prosecution and plea bargaining as they were introduced in Greece. After briefly presenting some basic but important characteristics of the Greek judicial system and of its function, the relevant provisions are analysed in depth. The aim is to examine how these were structured to fit in a very formal and bureaucratic system moulded by an inquisitorial tradition.
