| GREECE Hellenic Republic Elliniki Dhimokratia Joined United Nations: 25 October 1945 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Updated 12 August 2012 |
Article 2 [Human Dignity]
(1) Respect for and protection of human dignity constitute the primary obligation of the State.
(2) Greece, following the generally accepted rules of international law, seeks consolidation of peace and justice and fostering of friendly
relations among Peoples and States.
Part II Individual and Social Rights
Article 4 [Citizenship and Equality]
(1) All Greeks are equal before the law.
(2) Greek men and Greek women have equal rights and obligations.
(3) Greek citizens are those who possess the qualifications specified by the law. No one shall be deprived of his citizenship save in the
case of persons assuming on their own free will another citizenship or joining a service in another country which is contrary to the
national interests, in accordance with the conditions and procedure laid down by the law in detail.
(4) Only Greek citizens shall be eligible for public service save in those cases where exceptions are introduced by specific legislation.
(5) Greek citizens shall, without discrimination, contribute towards sharing the burden of public expenditure according to their ability.
(6) Every Greek able to bear arms shall be obliged to assist in the defence of the nation, as provided by law.
(7) Titles of nobility or distinction shall neither be conferred upon, nor recognized in Greek citizens.
Article 5 [Freedom, Integrity]
(1) Each person is entitled to develop his personality freely and participate in the social, economic, and political life of the country,
provided that he does not encroach upon the rights of others, the Constitution, or bona mores.
(2) All persons within the Greek State enjoy full protection of their life, honor, and freedom, irrespective of nationality, race, creed, or
political allegiance. Exceptions shall be permitted in such cases as are provided for by international law. Aliens persecuted for acts carried
out in defence of their freedom shall not be extradited.
(3) Personal liberty is inviolable. No person shall be prosecuted, arrested, imprisoned, or otherwise restricted, save when and in the
manner specified by law.
(4) Individual administrative measures restricting free movement or freedom of residence in the country and the right of every Greek to
leave or enter Greece shall be prohibited. Such measures may be taken in cases of extraordinary emergency and only for the prevention of
illegal acts, following the decision of a penal court as the law provides. In cases of utmost urgency, the ruling of the court may be issued
after the administrative act has been taken, but not later than three days; if not the said administrative act shall be lifted ipso jure.
Article 6 [Arrest]
(1) No person shall be arrested or imprisoned without a judicial warrant stating the reasons, which must be served upon him at the
moment of arrest or imprisonment, pending trial. This provision does not apply to crimes committed in flagrante delicto.
(2) Any person taken in the act or arrested on the basis of a warrant of arrest, shall be brought before the competent examining magistrate
within twenty-four hours of the time of arrest, at the latest, or, if the arrest was made outside the seat of the examining magistrate, within
the time which is absolutely necessary for his conveyance thereto. The examining magistrate must, within at the most three days of such
appearance, either release such person or issue a warrant for his imprisonment. The time limit shall be extended for up to two days at the
request of the person arrested or in the event of force majeure which shall be certified by a ruling of the competent judicial council.
(3) Upon expiry of either of these time limits without any such action having been taken, any warder or any other person, whether civilian
or military, in charge of the detainee must release the same. Violators of these provisions shall be punished for illegal confinement and
shall have to make good any loss sustained by the injured party and give satisfaction to the same for moral injury by such sum of money
as the law provides.
(4) The law shall determine the maximum term of imprisonment pending trial which cannot exceed one year for felonies and six months
for misdemeanors. In the event of extraordinary circumstances, the said maximum may be extended by six and three months respectively,
by a ruling of the competent judicial council.
Article 7 [Nullum Crimen Sine Lege]
(1) No offence shall exist, nor shall any punishment be
imposed, unless a law determining the details has been in force prior to the commission of the act. Punishment can never be heavier than
provided by the law in force when the act was committed.
(2) Torture and any kind of bodily ill-treatment, injury to health, or the use of psychological pressure or any other offence against human
dignity are prohibited and shall be punished according to the law.
(3) General confiscation is prohibited. The death penalty shall not be imposed for political crimes save for compound ones.
(4) The law specifies the terms under which the State following a judicial decision shall indemnify persons unjustly or illegally sentenced,
or imprisoned pending trial, or otherwise deprived of their personal freedom.
Article 8 [Natural Judge]
No person shall be denied the right to his lawful judge without his consent. Judicial committees and extraordinary courts under any name
whatsoever, shall not be established.
Article 9 [Inviolability of Home]
(1) Each man's home is inviolable. A person's personal and family life is inviolable. No house searches shall be made except when and as
the law directs, and always in the presence of representatives of the judicial authorities.
(2) Offenders against the aforegoing provision shall be punished for forced entry into a private house and abuse of power, and shall be
obliged to indemnify in full the injured party as the law provides.
Article 10 [Petition]
(1) Each person has and several persons acting together have the right, adhering to the laws of the State, to address written petitions to
authorities, and said authorities must promptly react on the basis of the existing regulations and furnish in writing a reasoned answer to
the petitioner in accordance with the law.
(2) Action for offenses possibly contained in the petition may be initiated against the petitioner only after the serving of the final decision
by the authority to which the petition was addressed and with the permission thereof.
(3) Requests for information must be complied with by the competent authority, if this be provided by law.
Article 11 [Assembly]
(1) Greeks have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms as the law provides.
(2) The police may be present at public open air meetings only. Open air meetings may be prohibited by police decision stating the
reasons, generally if danger to public security is imminent therefrom, and in the case of specific areas if the disruption of social and
economic life is seriously threatened, as the law provides.
Article 12 [Association]
(1) Greeks have the right to establish non-profit unions and associations, observing the laws of the State which cannot, however, make
the exercise of such right subject to previous permission by the Government.
(2) An association may not be dissolved for violating the laws or a fundamental provision of the by-laws without a court decision.
(3) The provisions of the aforegoing paragraph also apply per anlogia to unions which do not constitute an association.
(4) Restrictions on the right of association of civil servants may be imposed by law. Restrictions on the same right may also be imposed
upon local government employees or those of other bodies corporate of public law, or public enterprises.
(5) Agricultural and urban co-operation of any kind shall be self-governed in accordance with the provisions of the law or their by-laws
and shall be placed under the protection and
supervision of the State which shall be obliged to provide for the development thereof.
(6) Law may establish compulsory co-operatives which shall aim at achieving goals, relating to the common good or the public interest or
the joint exploitation of agricultural areas or other material resources, safeguarding in every case equality of treatment of those
participating therein.
Article 13 [Religion]
(1) The freedom of religious conscience is inviolable. The enjoyment of civil and individual rights does not depend on the religious
conviction of each individual.
(2) Every known religion is free and the forms of worship thereof shall be practiced without any hindrance by the State and under
protection of the law. The exercise of worship shall not contravene public order or offend morals. Proselytizing is prohibited.
(3) The ministers of all religions are subject to the same obligations towards the State and to the same state supervision as the ministers of
the established religion.
(4) No person shall, by reason of his religious convictions, be exempt from discharging his obligations to the State, or refuse to comply
with the laws.
(5) No oath shall be imposed without a law specifying the form thereof.
[Part II ... Individual and Social Rights]
Article 14 [Freedom of Expression and Press]
(1) Any person may express and propagate his opinion orally, in writing, or in print, with due adherence to the laws of the State.
(2) The press is free. Censorship and all preventive measures are prohibited.
(3) The seizure of newspapers and other printed matter, either before or after circulation, is prohibited. By exception, seizure after
publication is permitted upon instruction by the Public Prosecutor because of:
a) insult to the Christian and all other known religions,
b) insult to the person of the President of the Republic,
c) a publication which discloses information relating to the composition, armament, and disposition of the armed forces or the
fortifications of the country, or aims at violently overthrowing the political system or is directed against the territorial integrity of the State,
d) obscene publications which manifestly offend public decency, in the cases specified by law.
(4) In all of these cases, the Public Prosecutor must, within twenty-four hours of the seizure, submit the case to the judicial council
which, within a further twenty-four hours, must decide whether the seizure shall be maintained or withdrawn, otherwise the seizure shall
be lifted ipso jure. The publisher of the seized newspaper or other printed matter and the Public Prosecutor are allowed to appeal to the
Appeal Court and the Supreme Court.
(5) The law shall determine the manner rectifying in full through the press erroneous publications.
(6) After at least three convictions within a five year period for crimes specified in Paragraph (3) hereof, the court shall order the
permanent or temporary suspension of issue of the publication and, in serious cases, prohibit the practice of the profession of journalist
by the person convicted, as provided by law. Such suspension or prohibition shall commence from such time as the sentence becomes
irrevocable.
(7) Press offenses shall be deemed offenses in flagrante delicto and shall be judged by the courts as the law provides.
(8) The law determines conditions and qualifications for the practice of journalism.
(9) The law may lay down that financing newspapers and periodicals be made known.
Article 15 [Supervised Media]
(1) The provisions on the protection of the press contained in the aforegoing article shall not be applied to motion pictures, phonography,
radio, television, and all other similar means of transmitting speech of image.
(2) Radio and television are placed under the immediate supervision of the State and shall aim at the transmission of objective information
and news under conditions of equality, as well as works of literature and art, safeguarding in every case such quality in the broadcasts as
may become necessary by the social function thereof and the cultural development of the country.
Article 16 [Education]
(1) Art and science, research, and teaching are free and their development and promotion constitutes a state obligation. Academic freedom
and the freedom to teach do not override the duty to obey the Constitution.
(2) Education constitutes a fundamental state objective and aims at the moral, intellectual, professional, and physical instruction of the
Greeks, the development of national and religious consciousness, and the formation of free and responsible citizens.
(3) The years of compulsory schooling may not be less than nine.
(4) All Greeks have the right to free education in the state schools at all levels. The State supports outstanding students and those needing
support or special protection according to their needs.
(5) University level education is provided exclusively by institutions which are bodies corporate of public law and fully self-governed. The
said institutions are under the supervision of the State and entitled to financial support. They operate on the basis of the laws relating to
their organization. Merging or fragmentation of the university level institutions may take place despite any provision to the contrary, as the
law determines. The professors of the university level institutions may not be dismissed before the expiry of the term of their
employment, as laid down by law, save under the essential preconditions specified in Article 88 (4) and following the decision of a
committee comprising a majority of high judicial functionaries, as the law provides.
(6) Professors of the university level education institutions are public functionaries. The rest of the teaching staff thereof also holds public
office, under the preconditions laid down by the law. Matters relating to the status of all the aforementioned shall be determined by the
Rules and Regulations of the respective institutions. A law shall determine the age limit for the professors of university level institutions,
and until such law be issued, the professors already employed shall depart ipso jure upon expiry of the academic year in which they attain
their sixty-seventh year.
(7) Vocational and any other special instruction is provided by the State through schools of higher status and for a period not exceeding
three years, as is specially laid down by the law which also determines the rights pertaining to the occupation of those who graduate from
such schools.
(8) A law shall determine the preconditions and the terms under which permits for the establishment and operation of private schools are
issued and matters relating to the supervision exercised thereover and the professional status of the teaching staff thereof. The
establishment of university level schools by private citizens is prohibited.
(9) Sport shall be under the protection of and shall be supervised at the highest level by the State. The State shall subsidize and control
association of sports clubs of any kind, as the law provides. A law shall also determine the disposal of the subsidies provided, in
accordance with the aims of the associations which shall receive the same.
Article 17 [Property]
(1) Property stands under the protection of the State; the rights, however, derived therefrom, may not be exercised in a manner
detrimental to the public interest.
(2) No one shall be deprived of his property except for the public benefit, which shall be duly ascertained, when and as the law directs
and always after full indemnification. Such indemnification must be commensurate with the value of the expropriated property at the time
of the court hearing for the temporary fixing of indemnification. In the case of direct petition for the final fixing of indemnification, the
value of the property at the time of court hearing relating thereto shall be taken into consideration.
(3) Any change in the value of the expropriated property which may occur after the publication of the expropriation act and may only
result therefrom, shall not be taken into account. A law may determine the contribution to the State expenditure by those who shall benefit
from the construction of utilities or works of overall significance for the economic development of the country.
(4) The indemnification shall at all times be fixed by the civil courts, and may be determined provisionally by court, after a hearing or
summoning of the beneficiary who may be obliged, at the discretion of the court and in order to receive such indemnification, to offer an
appropriate guarantee in the manner determined by law. Prior to the payment of either the final or the provisional indemnification, all the
rights of the proprietor shall be intact and the dispossession thereof shall be prohibited. The specified indemnification must be paid within
one year and a half from the publication of the order determining provisionally such indemnification, and in the case of petitions for the
final determination thereof from the publication of the relevant court order, otherwise the expropriation is lifted ipso jure. The
indemnification as such shall not be subject to any tax, deduction, or charge.
(5) A law may determine the cases of compulsory compensation to beneficiaries for the lost revenue from the expropriated real property
up to the time of payment of the indemnification.
(6) In the case of construction of utilities or works of more general significance for the national economy, a law may allow the
expropriation in favor of the State of areas extending beyond the ones strictly necessary for the construction of the works. The same law
shall determine the preconditions and terms of such an expropriation as well as the disposal or utilization of the additional expropriated
property required for the works under construction, with a view to serving public purposes in general.
(7) A law may provide that in the case of construction of works which are obviously useful to the public and for the benefit of the State
or bodies corporate of public law or local authorities or utilities or public enterprises, it shall be allowed to dig underground tunnels up to
the necessary depth and without the payment of the necessary indemnification provided that the usual exploitation of the overlying real
property be unimpeded.
Article 18 [Special Cases of Property, Requisition]
(1) Special laws shall determine questions relating to the ownership and disposal of mines, quarries, caves, archaeological treasures,
mineral waters, freely-flowing and subterranean waters, and the subterranean natural resources in general.
(2) A law shall determine questions relating to the ownership, exploitation, and administration of shoals and large lakes and those relating
in general to the disposition of the areas reclaimed through the draining thereof.
(3) Special laws shall regulate the questions relating to requisitioning for the need of the armed forces in case of war or mobilization in
order to meet urgent social needs which may endanger public order or health.
(4) The reallocation of agricultural lands with a view to
improving efficiency of their cultivation and measures with a view to avoiding excessive fragmentation or facilitating the regrouping of the
fragmented small holdings shall be allowed and effected in accordance with the procedure specified by special law.
(5) In addition to the cases mentioned in the aforegoing paragraph, a law may provide for any further restriction on the free use and
exploitation of property which may be necessary due to special circumstances. The law shall specify the obligor and the procedure
whereby the price of use and exploitation shall be paid to the person entitled thereto, which must correspond to the conditions prevailing
in each instance. Any measures remain in force without just cause, the Council of State at the request of any person having a lawful
interest therein shall decide on the lifting thereof, according to the category whereunder the case falls.
(6) The law may determine the terms under which abandoned land can be disposed of with a view to the utilization thereof for the benefit
of the national economy and the restitution of landless persons. The same law shall determine the question relating to the partial or full
indemnification payable to the owners thereof should they reappear within a reasonable time limit.
(7) A law may establish compulsory joint ownership of adjoining real estate properties in urban areas provided that the separate
development of them or of some of them is not compatible with the development requirements which are or may in the future be in force
in the district in question.
(8) The agricultural property of the Holy Monasteries of Stavropigiaka of Saint Anastasia, the Pharmakolytria in Chalkidiki, the Monastery
of Vlatades in Thessaloniki, and the Monastery of John the Evangelist the Theologian in Patmos, shall be exempt from expropriation; the
provision does not apply to agricultural property situated outside the area of the monastery. Likewise, the property of the Patriarchates of
Alexandria, Antiochia, and Jerusalem and that of the Holy Monastery of Sinai which is situated in Greece shall be exempt from
expropriation.
Article 19 [Secrecy of Correspondence]
The privacy of correspondence and any other form of communication is absolutely inviolable. The law shall determine the guarantees
under which the judicial authority is released from the obligation to observe the above mentioned right, for reasons of national security or
for the investigation of particularly serious crimes.
Article 20 [Recourse to Courts]
(1) All citizens are entitled to lawful protection by the courts and may present their views in relation to their rights or interests, as laid
down by the law.
(2) The same right of the interested party to a prior hearing is also applicable to any administrative act or measure which is taken against
the rights or interests thereof.
Article 21 [Family]
(1) The institution of the family, being the foundation of the preservation and improvement of the nation, as well as marriage,
motherhood, and childhood, shall be protected by the State.
(2) Families with a large number of children, war and peace invalids, war victims, widows, and orphans of persons killed in the war, and
those suffering from mental or physical illness shall be under special state care.
(3) The State shall be concerned with the health of the citizens and shall take special measures for the protection of youth, old age,
cripples, and those who are destitute.
(4) The provision of homes to those who are homeless or live in inadequate housing conditions shall be the subject of special care by the
State.
Article 22 [Work, Social Security]
(1) Work is a right and shall be placed under the protection of the State, which shall take measures with a view to creating conditions for
full employment and for the moral and material improvement of the working agricultural and urban population.
(2) The general conditions of work shall be determined by law and supplemented by collective agreements arrived at by free collective
bargaining and, in the event of their having failed, by the regulations fixed by arbitration.
(3) All forms of compulsory labor shall be prohibited. Special laws shall determine matters relating to the forcible recruitment of personal
services in the event of war or mobilization or for the benefit of the defence needs of the country or in the case of social emergency
caused by a natural catastrophe or likely to endanger public health, and matters relating to the services offered to local authorities with a
view to satisfying local needs.
(4) The State shall provide for the social security of the workers, as the law provides.
Article 23 [Unions, Right to Strike]
(1) The State shall take the appropriate measures for the safeguarding of trade union freedom and the unimpeded exercise of the rights
relating thereto against any violation thereof, within the limits of the law.
(2) The right to strike shall be exercised by the duly constituted trade unions with a view to preserving and promoting the economic
interests of the workers and those relating to their work in general. Any strike whatsoever by judicial functionaries and members of the
security forces is prohibited. The right to strike is placed under the limitation imposed by law in the case of civil servants, employees of
local authorities, bodies corporate of public law, and the personnel of public enterprises of any kind or utilities, the operation whereof is of
vital importance for the satisfaction of basic needs of society as a whole. The said limitations cannot be extended to include the abolition
of the right to strike or impede the lawful exercise thereof.
Article 24 [Environment]
(1) The protection of the physical and cultural environment constitutes an obligation to the State. The State must take special preventive
or repressive measures for the conservation thereof. A law shall regulate matters relating to the protection of forests and forest areas in
general. Any change in the land uses of public forests or public forest areas shall be prohibited, unless the agricultural use thereof or any
other use be beneficial to the national economy or dictated by the national interests.
(2) The regional restructuring of the country, the configuration, development, planning, and extension of cities and housing areas in
general shall be placed under the regulatory competence of and control by the State with a view to achieving the best possible living
conditions and enhancing the functionality and development of the said housing areas.
(3) The properties contained in a given area shall compulsorily participate, without receiving any compensation form the local agencies, in
making the necessary land available for the construction of roads, squares, and communal units and spaces, and in covering the cost of
the construction of basic town planning works for public use, as the law provides, with a view to recognizing the said area as housing
area and revitalizing the same.
(4) A law may provide for the participation by the property owners of a given area designated as residential in the overall development and
planning on the basis of an approved plan, through an exchange of their real estate property in blocks of flats not extending to the land
underneath (horizontal property), sited in the parts of the area which shall finally be designated as building land or structures in the said
area.
(5) The provisions of the aforegoing paragraphs shall apply to the rehabilitation of already existing housing areas. The areas
cleared as a result shall be used for the creation as communal spaces or the construction of communal units or sold in order to cover the
cost of the town redevelopment, as the law provides.
(6) Monuments and historical sites shall be protected by the State. A law may determine the measures necessary for such protection
which may restrict the rights of the owners therein, and the mode and kind of compensation payable to the said owners.
Article 25 [Protection of Fundamental Rights]
(1) The right of human beings as individuals and as members of the social body are guaranteed by the State, all the functionaries whereof
are obliged to safeguard the unimpaired exercise thereof.
(2) The recognition and protection of the fundamental and inalienable rights of man by the State shall aim at achieving social progress in
freedom and justice.
(3) Abuse of rights shall be prohibited.
(4) The State has the right to demand of all citizens that they perform the duty of social and national solidarity.
(1) Respect for and protection of human dignity constitute the primary obligation of the State.
(2) Greece, following the generally accepted rules of international law, seeks consolidation of peace and justice and fostering of friendly
relations among Peoples and States.
Part II Individual and Social Rights
Article 4 [Citizenship and Equality]
(1) All Greeks are equal before the law.
(2) Greek men and Greek women have equal rights and obligations.
(3) Greek citizens are those who possess the qualifications specified by the law. No one shall be deprived of his citizenship save in the
case of persons assuming on their own free will another citizenship or joining a service in another country which is contrary to the
national interests, in accordance with the conditions and procedure laid down by the law in detail.
(4) Only Greek citizens shall be eligible for public service save in those cases where exceptions are introduced by specific legislation.
(5) Greek citizens shall, without discrimination, contribute towards sharing the burden of public expenditure according to their ability.
(6) Every Greek able to bear arms shall be obliged to assist in the defence of the nation, as provided by law.
(7) Titles of nobility or distinction shall neither be conferred upon, nor recognized in Greek citizens.
Article 5 [Freedom, Integrity]
(1) Each person is entitled to develop his personality freely and participate in the social, economic, and political life of the country,
provided that he does not encroach upon the rights of others, the Constitution, or bona mores.
(2) All persons within the Greek State enjoy full protection of their life, honor, and freedom, irrespective of nationality, race, creed, or
political allegiance. Exceptions shall be permitted in such cases as are provided for by international law. Aliens persecuted for acts carried
out in defence of their freedom shall not be extradited.
(3) Personal liberty is inviolable. No person shall be prosecuted, arrested, imprisoned, or otherwise restricted, save when and in the
manner specified by law.
(4) Individual administrative measures restricting free movement or freedom of residence in the country and the right of every Greek to
leave or enter Greece shall be prohibited. Such measures may be taken in cases of extraordinary emergency and only for the prevention of
illegal acts, following the decision of a penal court as the law provides. In cases of utmost urgency, the ruling of the court may be issued
after the administrative act has been taken, but not later than three days; if not the said administrative act shall be lifted ipso jure.
Article 6 [Arrest]
(1) No person shall be arrested or imprisoned without a judicial warrant stating the reasons, which must be served upon him at the
moment of arrest or imprisonment, pending trial. This provision does not apply to crimes committed in flagrante delicto.
(2) Any person taken in the act or arrested on the basis of a warrant of arrest, shall be brought before the competent examining magistrate
within twenty-four hours of the time of arrest, at the latest, or, if the arrest was made outside the seat of the examining magistrate, within
the time which is absolutely necessary for his conveyance thereto. The examining magistrate must, within at the most three days of such
appearance, either release such person or issue a warrant for his imprisonment. The time limit shall be extended for up to two days at the
request of the person arrested or in the event of force majeure which shall be certified by a ruling of the competent judicial council.
(3) Upon expiry of either of these time limits without any such action having been taken, any warder or any other person, whether civilian
or military, in charge of the detainee must release the same. Violators of these provisions shall be punished for illegal confinement and
shall have to make good any loss sustained by the injured party and give satisfaction to the same for moral injury by such sum of money
as the law provides.
(4) The law shall determine the maximum term of imprisonment pending trial which cannot exceed one year for felonies and six months
for misdemeanors. In the event of extraordinary circumstances, the said maximum may be extended by six and three months respectively,
by a ruling of the competent judicial council.
Article 7 [Nullum Crimen Sine Lege]
(1) No offence shall exist, nor shall any punishment be
imposed, unless a law determining the details has been in force prior to the commission of the act. Punishment can never be heavier than
provided by the law in force when the act was committed.
(2) Torture and any kind of bodily ill-treatment, injury to health, or the use of psychological pressure or any other offence against human
dignity are prohibited and shall be punished according to the law.
(3) General confiscation is prohibited. The death penalty shall not be imposed for political crimes save for compound ones.
(4) The law specifies the terms under which the State following a judicial decision shall indemnify persons unjustly or illegally sentenced,
or imprisoned pending trial, or otherwise deprived of their personal freedom.
Article 8 [Natural Judge]
No person shall be denied the right to his lawful judge without his consent. Judicial committees and extraordinary courts under any name
whatsoever, shall not be established.
Article 9 [Inviolability of Home]
(1) Each man's home is inviolable. A person's personal and family life is inviolable. No house searches shall be made except when and as
the law directs, and always in the presence of representatives of the judicial authorities.
(2) Offenders against the aforegoing provision shall be punished for forced entry into a private house and abuse of power, and shall be
obliged to indemnify in full the injured party as the law provides.
Article 10 [Petition]
(1) Each person has and several persons acting together have the right, adhering to the laws of the State, to address written petitions to
authorities, and said authorities must promptly react on the basis of the existing regulations and furnish in writing a reasoned answer to
the petitioner in accordance with the law.
(2) Action for offenses possibly contained in the petition may be initiated against the petitioner only after the serving of the final decision
by the authority to which the petition was addressed and with the permission thereof.
(3) Requests for information must be complied with by the competent authority, if this be provided by law.
Article 11 [Assembly]
(1) Greeks have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms as the law provides.
(2) The police may be present at public open air meetings only. Open air meetings may be prohibited by police decision stating the
reasons, generally if danger to public security is imminent therefrom, and in the case of specific areas if the disruption of social and
economic life is seriously threatened, as the law provides.
Article 12 [Association]
(1) Greeks have the right to establish non-profit unions and associations, observing the laws of the State which cannot, however, make
the exercise of such right subject to previous permission by the Government.
(2) An association may not be dissolved for violating the laws or a fundamental provision of the by-laws without a court decision.
(3) The provisions of the aforegoing paragraph also apply per anlogia to unions which do not constitute an association.
(4) Restrictions on the right of association of civil servants may be imposed by law. Restrictions on the same right may also be imposed
upon local government employees or those of other bodies corporate of public law, or public enterprises.
(5) Agricultural and urban co-operation of any kind shall be self-governed in accordance with the provisions of the law or their by-laws
and shall be placed under the protection and
supervision of the State which shall be obliged to provide for the development thereof.
(6) Law may establish compulsory co-operatives which shall aim at achieving goals, relating to the common good or the public interest or
the joint exploitation of agricultural areas or other material resources, safeguarding in every case equality of treatment of those
participating therein.
Article 13 [Religion]
(1) The freedom of religious conscience is inviolable. The enjoyment of civil and individual rights does not depend on the religious
conviction of each individual.
(2) Every known religion is free and the forms of worship thereof shall be practiced without any hindrance by the State and under
protection of the law. The exercise of worship shall not contravene public order or offend morals. Proselytizing is prohibited.
(3) The ministers of all religions are subject to the same obligations towards the State and to the same state supervision as the ministers of
the established religion.
(4) No person shall, by reason of his religious convictions, be exempt from discharging his obligations to the State, or refuse to comply
with the laws.
(5) No oath shall be imposed without a law specifying the form thereof.
[Part II ... Individual and Social Rights]
Article 14 [Freedom of Expression and Press]
(1) Any person may express and propagate his opinion orally, in writing, or in print, with due adherence to the laws of the State.
(2) The press is free. Censorship and all preventive measures are prohibited.
(3) The seizure of newspapers and other printed matter, either before or after circulation, is prohibited. By exception, seizure after
publication is permitted upon instruction by the Public Prosecutor because of:
a) insult to the Christian and all other known religions,
b) insult to the person of the President of the Republic,
c) a publication which discloses information relating to the composition, armament, and disposition of the armed forces or the
fortifications of the country, or aims at violently overthrowing the political system or is directed against the territorial integrity of the State,
d) obscene publications which manifestly offend public decency, in the cases specified by law.
(4) In all of these cases, the Public Prosecutor must, within twenty-four hours of the seizure, submit the case to the judicial council
which, within a further twenty-four hours, must decide whether the seizure shall be maintained or withdrawn, otherwise the seizure shall
be lifted ipso jure. The publisher of the seized newspaper or other printed matter and the Public Prosecutor are allowed to appeal to the
Appeal Court and the Supreme Court.
(5) The law shall determine the manner rectifying in full through the press erroneous publications.
(6) After at least three convictions within a five year period for crimes specified in Paragraph (3) hereof, the court shall order the
permanent or temporary suspension of issue of the publication and, in serious cases, prohibit the practice of the profession of journalist
by the person convicted, as provided by law. Such suspension or prohibition shall commence from such time as the sentence becomes
irrevocable.
(7) Press offenses shall be deemed offenses in flagrante delicto and shall be judged by the courts as the law provides.
(8) The law determines conditions and qualifications for the practice of journalism.
(9) The law may lay down that financing newspapers and periodicals be made known.
Article 15 [Supervised Media]
(1) The provisions on the protection of the press contained in the aforegoing article shall not be applied to motion pictures, phonography,
radio, television, and all other similar means of transmitting speech of image.
(2) Radio and television are placed under the immediate supervision of the State and shall aim at the transmission of objective information
and news under conditions of equality, as well as works of literature and art, safeguarding in every case such quality in the broadcasts as
may become necessary by the social function thereof and the cultural development of the country.
Article 16 [Education]
(1) Art and science, research, and teaching are free and their development and promotion constitutes a state obligation. Academic freedom
and the freedom to teach do not override the duty to obey the Constitution.
(2) Education constitutes a fundamental state objective and aims at the moral, intellectual, professional, and physical instruction of the
Greeks, the development of national and religious consciousness, and the formation of free and responsible citizens.
(3) The years of compulsory schooling may not be less than nine.
(4) All Greeks have the right to free education in the state schools at all levels. The State supports outstanding students and those needing
support or special protection according to their needs.
(5) University level education is provided exclusively by institutions which are bodies corporate of public law and fully self-governed. The
said institutions are under the supervision of the State and entitled to financial support. They operate on the basis of the laws relating to
their organization. Merging or fragmentation of the university level institutions may take place despite any provision to the contrary, as the
law determines. The professors of the university level institutions may not be dismissed before the expiry of the term of their
employment, as laid down by law, save under the essential preconditions specified in Article 88 (4) and following the decision of a
committee comprising a majority of high judicial functionaries, as the law provides.
(6) Professors of the university level education institutions are public functionaries. The rest of the teaching staff thereof also holds public
office, under the preconditions laid down by the law. Matters relating to the status of all the aforementioned shall be determined by the
Rules and Regulations of the respective institutions. A law shall determine the age limit for the professors of university level institutions,
and until such law be issued, the professors already employed shall depart ipso jure upon expiry of the academic year in which they attain
their sixty-seventh year.
(7) Vocational and any other special instruction is provided by the State through schools of higher status and for a period not exceeding
three years, as is specially laid down by the law which also determines the rights pertaining to the occupation of those who graduate from
such schools.
(8) A law shall determine the preconditions and the terms under which permits for the establishment and operation of private schools are
issued and matters relating to the supervision exercised thereover and the professional status of the teaching staff thereof. The
establishment of university level schools by private citizens is prohibited.
(9) Sport shall be under the protection of and shall be supervised at the highest level by the State. The State shall subsidize and control
association of sports clubs of any kind, as the law provides. A law shall also determine the disposal of the subsidies provided, in
accordance with the aims of the associations which shall receive the same.
Article 17 [Property]
(1) Property stands under the protection of the State; the rights, however, derived therefrom, may not be exercised in a manner
detrimental to the public interest.
(2) No one shall be deprived of his property except for the public benefit, which shall be duly ascertained, when and as the law directs
and always after full indemnification. Such indemnification must be commensurate with the value of the expropriated property at the time
of the court hearing for the temporary fixing of indemnification. In the case of direct petition for the final fixing of indemnification, the
value of the property at the time of court hearing relating thereto shall be taken into consideration.
(3) Any change in the value of the expropriated property which may occur after the publication of the expropriation act and may only
result therefrom, shall not be taken into account. A law may determine the contribution to the State expenditure by those who shall benefit
from the construction of utilities or works of overall significance for the economic development of the country.
(4) The indemnification shall at all times be fixed by the civil courts, and may be determined provisionally by court, after a hearing or
summoning of the beneficiary who may be obliged, at the discretion of the court and in order to receive such indemnification, to offer an
appropriate guarantee in the manner determined by law. Prior to the payment of either the final or the provisional indemnification, all the
rights of the proprietor shall be intact and the dispossession thereof shall be prohibited. The specified indemnification must be paid within
one year and a half from the publication of the order determining provisionally such indemnification, and in the case of petitions for the
final determination thereof from the publication of the relevant court order, otherwise the expropriation is lifted ipso jure. The
indemnification as such shall not be subject to any tax, deduction, or charge.
(5) A law may determine the cases of compulsory compensation to beneficiaries for the lost revenue from the expropriated real property
up to the time of payment of the indemnification.
(6) In the case of construction of utilities or works of more general significance for the national economy, a law may allow the
expropriation in favor of the State of areas extending beyond the ones strictly necessary for the construction of the works. The same law
shall determine the preconditions and terms of such an expropriation as well as the disposal or utilization of the additional expropriated
property required for the works under construction, with a view to serving public purposes in general.
(7) A law may provide that in the case of construction of works which are obviously useful to the public and for the benefit of the State
or bodies corporate of public law or local authorities or utilities or public enterprises, it shall be allowed to dig underground tunnels up to
the necessary depth and without the payment of the necessary indemnification provided that the usual exploitation of the overlying real
property be unimpeded.
Article 18 [Special Cases of Property, Requisition]
(1) Special laws shall determine questions relating to the ownership and disposal of mines, quarries, caves, archaeological treasures,
mineral waters, freely-flowing and subterranean waters, and the subterranean natural resources in general.
(2) A law shall determine questions relating to the ownership, exploitation, and administration of shoals and large lakes and those relating
in general to the disposition of the areas reclaimed through the draining thereof.
(3) Special laws shall regulate the questions relating to requisitioning for the need of the armed forces in case of war or mobilization in
order to meet urgent social needs which may endanger public order or health.
(4) The reallocation of agricultural lands with a view to
improving efficiency of their cultivation and measures with a view to avoiding excessive fragmentation or facilitating the regrouping of the
fragmented small holdings shall be allowed and effected in accordance with the procedure specified by special law.
(5) In addition to the cases mentioned in the aforegoing paragraph, a law may provide for any further restriction on the free use and
exploitation of property which may be necessary due to special circumstances. The law shall specify the obligor and the procedure
whereby the price of use and exploitation shall be paid to the person entitled thereto, which must correspond to the conditions prevailing
in each instance. Any measures remain in force without just cause, the Council of State at the request of any person having a lawful
interest therein shall decide on the lifting thereof, according to the category whereunder the case falls.
(6) The law may determine the terms under which abandoned land can be disposed of with a view to the utilization thereof for the benefit
of the national economy and the restitution of landless persons. The same law shall determine the question relating to the partial or full
indemnification payable to the owners thereof should they reappear within a reasonable time limit.
(7) A law may establish compulsory joint ownership of adjoining real estate properties in urban areas provided that the separate
development of them or of some of them is not compatible with the development requirements which are or may in the future be in force
in the district in question.
(8) The agricultural property of the Holy Monasteries of Stavropigiaka of Saint Anastasia, the Pharmakolytria in Chalkidiki, the Monastery
of Vlatades in Thessaloniki, and the Monastery of John the Evangelist the Theologian in Patmos, shall be exempt from expropriation; the
provision does not apply to agricultural property situated outside the area of the monastery. Likewise, the property of the Patriarchates of
Alexandria, Antiochia, and Jerusalem and that of the Holy Monastery of Sinai which is situated in Greece shall be exempt from
expropriation.
Article 19 [Secrecy of Correspondence]
The privacy of correspondence and any other form of communication is absolutely inviolable. The law shall determine the guarantees
under which the judicial authority is released from the obligation to observe the above mentioned right, for reasons of national security or
for the investigation of particularly serious crimes.
Article 20 [Recourse to Courts]
(1) All citizens are entitled to lawful protection by the courts and may present their views in relation to their rights or interests, as laid
down by the law.
(2) The same right of the interested party to a prior hearing is also applicable to any administrative act or measure which is taken against
the rights or interests thereof.
Article 21 [Family]
(1) The institution of the family, being the foundation of the preservation and improvement of the nation, as well as marriage,
motherhood, and childhood, shall be protected by the State.
(2) Families with a large number of children, war and peace invalids, war victims, widows, and orphans of persons killed in the war, and
those suffering from mental or physical illness shall be under special state care.
(3) The State shall be concerned with the health of the citizens and shall take special measures for the protection of youth, old age,
cripples, and those who are destitute.
(4) The provision of homes to those who are homeless or live in inadequate housing conditions shall be the subject of special care by the
State.
Article 22 [Work, Social Security]
(1) Work is a right and shall be placed under the protection of the State, which shall take measures with a view to creating conditions for
full employment and for the moral and material improvement of the working agricultural and urban population.
(2) The general conditions of work shall be determined by law and supplemented by collective agreements arrived at by free collective
bargaining and, in the event of their having failed, by the regulations fixed by arbitration.
(3) All forms of compulsory labor shall be prohibited. Special laws shall determine matters relating to the forcible recruitment of personal
services in the event of war or mobilization or for the benefit of the defence needs of the country or in the case of social emergency
caused by a natural catastrophe or likely to endanger public health, and matters relating to the services offered to local authorities with a
view to satisfying local needs.
(4) The State shall provide for the social security of the workers, as the law provides.
Article 23 [Unions, Right to Strike]
(1) The State shall take the appropriate measures for the safeguarding of trade union freedom and the unimpeded exercise of the rights
relating thereto against any violation thereof, within the limits of the law.
(2) The right to strike shall be exercised by the duly constituted trade unions with a view to preserving and promoting the economic
interests of the workers and those relating to their work in general. Any strike whatsoever by judicial functionaries and members of the
security forces is prohibited. The right to strike is placed under the limitation imposed by law in the case of civil servants, employees of
local authorities, bodies corporate of public law, and the personnel of public enterprises of any kind or utilities, the operation whereof is of
vital importance for the satisfaction of basic needs of society as a whole. The said limitations cannot be extended to include the abolition
of the right to strike or impede the lawful exercise thereof.
Article 24 [Environment]
(1) The protection of the physical and cultural environment constitutes an obligation to the State. The State must take special preventive
or repressive measures for the conservation thereof. A law shall regulate matters relating to the protection of forests and forest areas in
general. Any change in the land uses of public forests or public forest areas shall be prohibited, unless the agricultural use thereof or any
other use be beneficial to the national economy or dictated by the national interests.
(2) The regional restructuring of the country, the configuration, development, planning, and extension of cities and housing areas in
general shall be placed under the regulatory competence of and control by the State with a view to achieving the best possible living
conditions and enhancing the functionality and development of the said housing areas.
(3) The properties contained in a given area shall compulsorily participate, without receiving any compensation form the local agencies, in
making the necessary land available for the construction of roads, squares, and communal units and spaces, and in covering the cost of
the construction of basic town planning works for public use, as the law provides, with a view to recognizing the said area as housing
area and revitalizing the same.
(4) A law may provide for the participation by the property owners of a given area designated as residential in the overall development and
planning on the basis of an approved plan, through an exchange of their real estate property in blocks of flats not extending to the land
underneath (horizontal property), sited in the parts of the area which shall finally be designated as building land or structures in the said
area.
(5) The provisions of the aforegoing paragraphs shall apply to the rehabilitation of already existing housing areas. The areas
cleared as a result shall be used for the creation as communal spaces or the construction of communal units or sold in order to cover the
cost of the town redevelopment, as the law provides.
(6) Monuments and historical sites shall be protected by the State. A law may determine the measures necessary for such protection
which may restrict the rights of the owners therein, and the mode and kind of compensation payable to the said owners.
Article 25 [Protection of Fundamental Rights]
(1) The right of human beings as individuals and as members of the social body are guaranteed by the State, all the functionaries whereof
are obliged to safeguard the unimpaired exercise thereof.
(2) The recognition and protection of the fundamental and inalienable rights of man by the State shall aim at achieving social progress in
freedom and justice.
(3) Abuse of rights shall be prohibited.
(4) The State has the right to demand of all citizens that they perform the duty of social and national solidarity.
On 11 June 1975, the Fifth Revisionary Greek Parliament adopted the Constitution of Greece. The
Constitution of 1975 was composed using as a basis those of 1952 and 1927, as well as the revision
proposal of 1963. Numerous clauses were also based on the West German Constitution of 1949 and the
French constitution of 1958 and in accordance with their original agreement to conform with the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Following are those terms specifically related to human rights.
For a full English translation Greece's constitution, click here.
Constitution of 1975 was composed using as a basis those of 1952 and 1927, as well as the revision
proposal of 1963. Numerous clauses were also based on the West German Constitution of 1949 and the
French constitution of 1958 and in accordance with their original agreement to conform with the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Following are those terms specifically related to human rights.
For a full English translation Greece's constitution, click here.