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Death penalty: key facts about the situation in Europe and the rest of the world

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Greek Administrative Court rules state liable for Covid-19 vaccine side effects due to "excessive sacrifice"

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Greece: The Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens, in its decision no. 4202/2025, has ruled that the Greek State is liable for damages sustained by an individual due to side effects following a preventive "COVID-19" vaccination. This landmark decision was issued in a compensation lawsuit filed against the Hellenic Republic. The Case: Seeking Compensation for Vaccine-Related Harm The lawsuit was brought by a plaintiff seeking compensation for material damage and moral harm (non-pecuniary damage), alleging that they suffered severe side effects after their preventive COVID-19 vaccination with a specific vaccine. The initial claim was for €461,835.26, but this amount was subsequently restricted during the proceedings. The plaintiff based their claim on two legal grounds: Article 105 of the Introductory Law of the Civil Code (EισNAK): This article concerns the State's liability for compensation arising from illegal acts or omissions of its organs in the exe...
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Ombudsman inquiry on Commission President’s text messages is a wake-up call for EU

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The European Ombudsman inquiry into the Commission’s handling of a request for text messages between its President and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company is a wake-up call for all EU institutions about ensuring accountability in an era of instant messaging. One year after the initial request by a journalist, the Commission has still not clarified whether messages reported to concern major vaccine procurement deals exist and whether the public is entitled to see them. The Ombudsman had asked the Commission, in a finding of maladministration in January, to conduct a more thorough search for the text messages. The Commission’s recent response failed to say whether it had looked directly and correctly for the text messages and if not, why not. While the response recognised that work-related text messages can be EU documents, it reiterated that the Commission’s internal policy is, in effect, not to register text messages. The Ombudsman has closed  the inquiry  and upheld...
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Anti-money laundering: Subject to a legitimate interest, the public has access to information on the beneficial ownership of trust mandates governed by Italian law (CJEU)

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According to the Judgment of the Court of Justice dated 21.5.2026 in Joined Cases C-684/24  (Across Fiduciaria and Others) and C-685/24 (Unione Fiduciaria and Others), subject to a legitimate interest, the public has access to information on the beneficial ownership of trust mandates governed by Italian law. According to common practice, a trust mandate is an agreement whereby a trustee is entrusted with the management of property or rights in the interests of the settlor or other beneficiaries. Under the 4th Anti-Money Laundering Directive, [1] Member States must ensure that trustees provide, hold and make accessible information on the beneficial owners of trusts.  Those obligations also extend to other legal arrangements with a structure or functions similar to trusts. The Italian authorities have adopted measures to implement those obligations and have considered that the Italian trust mandate (mandato fiduciario) constitutes such a similar legal arrangement. They therefore...
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THE CONCEPT OF WORKER (IN ARTICLE 45 TFEU)

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By Mpia Tsolaki, Lawyer** Freedom of movement for workers is founded on Article 45(1) TFEU and enshrined in fact in the abolition, set out in its second paragraph, of any discrimination based on nationality between workers of the Member States as regards employment, remuneration and other conditions of work and employment [1] . That prohibition has been regarded since the beginnings of the establishment of the single European Market as an indispensable corollary to its full integration since it has crucially promoted mobility of the workforce throughout the European Union (hereinafter EU) [2] .  From that point of view, it is therefore of outmost importance for ascertaining its ambit to determine at the outset the concept of "worker", which is not defined by neither the primary nor the secondary EU legislation. As expected, the Ariadne’s thread has been offered by the European Court of Justice (hereinafter ECJ) that has been constantly producing an ample case-law, which keepi...
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The Concept of "Habitual Residence" as a Jurisdictional Basis in International Parental Responsibility Disputes: The Cypriot Approach

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Written By Giorgos Kazoleas, Lawyer at Legal Experts Cyprus In modern private international law, determining the Forum Conveniens (the appropriate court) for resolving parental responsibility disputes is a critical issue for ensuring the best interests of the child. Within the Cypriot legal order, the jurisdiction of Family Courts in cases involving international elements—such as those involving third-country nationals—is primarily established through the concept of "habitual residence." 1. The Legal Framework: The 1996 Hague Convention and National Law The establishment of jurisdiction for Cypriot Courts arises from the combined application of international and national rules: 1996 Hague Convention [1] : According to Article 5, the judicial or administrative authorities of the Contracting State of the child’s habitual residence have jurisdiction to take measures directed at the protection of the child’s person or property. The Family Courts Law (Law 23/1990) : Arti...
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The struggle for truth against time and limitation period in the light of two paternity court cases

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By George Kazoleas, Lawyer Two recent cases, one by the European Court of Human Rights and the other by the Athens Court of First Instance with similar facts, show once again that justice can dispel the darkness caused by human deceit having as a result the distortion of real facts. Against time and limitation Time, was essentially the reason why the courts in Serbia denied the 50-year-old Peda Boljevic the right to know the truth about who his biological father was. Until 2011 he believed that A was his real father but when he died, Boljevic discovered in old court rulings around 1970 that A could not be his biological father. So, at the beginning of 2012, he filed a lawsuit with his mother, invoking the old decisions by also adding the argument that back then there was no DNA test, but today this could be done based on a court decree. The courts in Serbia, both the court of first instance and the court of appeals, rejected his application as lapsed, after so many years. In particular...
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The Delivery Delay Clause in Residential Construction Contracts: Consumer Protection in Cyprus and Europe

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By Giorgos Kazoleas, LL.M., Lawyer, Managing Partner at Legal Experts Cyprus The purchase or construction of a new residence is one of the most significant financial and personal decisions a consumer can make. Residential construction contracts or agreements for the sale of property under construction are a crucial and defining element of the entire process, as certain terms they may contain can be detrimental to the buyer. One of the most critical aspects is the contractual delivery time of the project and the provision for delay, through the so-called delivery delay clause. The Delivery Delay Clause: Its Role and Legal Nature The delivery delay clause (also known as a penalty clause in the event of default) is a term usually included in the contract that specifies a predetermined compensation amount that the contractor or seller must pay to the buyer for every day, week, or month of delay beyond the agreed delivery date. The purpose of the clause is twofold: -Compensatory: ...
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