A necessary precursor to protecting the personality of officials, the waiver of immunity of Zoe Konstantopoulou for felony offences committed against judicial officials, notes in announcement of the Union of Judges and Prosecutors.
According to the Union, “the path of the criminal investigation and evaluation of her actions is now open,” it adds: “Criminal– Criminal acts committed by Members of Parliament; lawyers and have absolutely no connection with either the status of lawyer or parliamentary duties should be convicted by all the political parties in the country and by the Bar Associations.”
Specifically, the statement of the Union of Judges and Prosecutors reads as follows:
“The lifting of the immunity of MP Zoe Konstantopoulou by the majority of the Parliament for felonious acts committed against judicial officials is welcomed by the Judiciary as a necessary precondition for the protection of the personality of the officials.
The way is now open for criminal investigation and evaluation of her actions. Felonious – criminal acts committed by members of parliament – lawyers and having no connection whatsoever with either the lawyer’s capacity or parliamentary duties must be condemned by all political parties in the country and by the bar associations.
Parliamentary immunity was not granted by the Constitutional legislator as a special privilege to cover up criminal offences against citizens but as a protection of the MP for acts related to his/her duties.
The issue of the abolition of the provision on the liability of Ministersin the context of the forthcoming constitutional revision, to which the political parties are sensitive, should not be treated separately from the special discriminatory treatment that MPs enjoy when acting as citizens.
This is not only a necessary condition of the people’s confidence in the judiciary, but in particular practical proof of the effort to consolidate the democratic concept of equality of citizens before the law.”
