Mrs Maria Georgiou, son of Michael, was born in Chalkida on December 7th, 1956. She is divorced and mother of a child. After completing her secondary education in Chalkida in 1974 she entered the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and received her degree in 1979. She speaks English and French very well. After obtaining a lawyer's license after an internship, she joined the judiciary in June 1983, after successfully participating in a relevant competition. Based on her score, she was ranked in the top ten of the three hundred and more successful. She was originally appointed as Associate Judge at the Athens Court of First Instance. To this extent, however, by an act of the Head of the Athens Court of First Instance, she exercised the duties of First Instance Judge in divisions of automobile disputes. She was promoted to the rank of First Instance Judge in 1985 and served in the Athens Court of First Instance. During her services in this rank she served in almost all departments and at the same time acted as a Criminal Judge. Then in the year 1998 she was promoted to the rank of President of the Court of First Instance and served in the Court of First Instance of Kalamata until 16-12-1998. She was then transferred to the Athens Court of First Instance, where she served until 11-9-2003. During her services as President of the Court of First Instance, she served in the departments of salary disputes, precautionary measures, property law and at the same time she exercised the duties of a Criminal Judge. She was promoted to the rank of Appeal Court Judge and was placed on 1-8-2003 in the Aegean Court of Appeal until 14-9-2004. She was then transferred to the Athens Court of Appeals, where she served in the Departments of obligation law, criminal law, family law until 9-11-2013, when she was promoted to the rank of President of the Court of Appeals and placed in the Athens Court of Appeals, with parallel duties of a criminal judge until 19-4-2017. On 22nd March 2017, she was promoted to Supreme Court Judge (Areopagite), appeared and took up her duties on 19-4-2017 and joined the 6th Criminal Division of the Supreme Court. On July 2nd , 2020, she was promoted to the rank of Vice President of the Supreme Court and was appointed as President of the Criminal Division of the Supreme Court, where she exercised these duties.

She was elected President of the Hellenic Supreme Court of Civil and Criminal Justice on 30th June 2021.

During her career she participated in scientific conferences and related events of legal entities.

Angeliki Aleiferopoulou (1/7/2020 - 30/6/2021)  

Mrs Angeliki Aleiferopoulou was born in Tripoli, Arcadia, on 29-8-1954. She is married and mother of a child. After completing her secondary education in Arsakeio, from where she graduated with honors, she entered the Law School of the University of Athens and received her degree in 1977, awarded with honorary titles of National Scholarships Foundation. She speaks English and French very well and Italian well. After obtaining a lawyer's license after an internship, she joined the judiciary in August 1979, after successfully participating in a relevant competition and was appointed Associate Judge at the Athens Court of First Instance. She was promoted to the rank of First Instance Judge in 1981 and was assigned to the Court of First Instance of Sparta, then served in the Court of First Instance of Athens for fourteen years, in divisions of automobile disputes, labor disputes, property law, family law, appeals, law of obligations, exercising at the same time the duties of a criminal judge. In 1996 she was promoted to the rank of Senior Judge of the Court of First Instance and served in the Court of First Instance of Lamia, where, in addition to her judicial duties on civil, criminal cases and precautionary measures, she also served as Head of the Court of First Instance and then transferred to the Athens Court of First Instance, department of obligation law, while also acting as a criminal judge. In 1999 she was promoted to the rank of Appeal Court Judge and served in the Athens Court of Appeals (for about eight years) and later in the Piraeus Court of Appeals, in civil departments, while also acting as a criminal judge. In 2008 she was promoted to the rank of Senior Judge of the Court of Appeals and was assigned to the Corfu Court of Appeal, where, in addition to her judicial duties on civil and criminal cases, she was Head of the services of the upper Court of Appeal, then she served in the Athens Court of Appeals, in a department of labor disputes, with parallel duties of a criminal judge and then in the Piraeus Court of Appeals, exercising exclusively the duties of Director in that Court of Appeal. In 2012 she was promoted to Supreme Court Judge (Areopagite) and initially joined the B2 Civil Department of the Supreme Court, while later she served in the 5th Criminal Department. In 2017 she was promoted to the rank of Vice President of the Supreme Court and was appointed as President of the 7th Criminal Department of the above mentioned Court, where she held these duties for three years. She was elected President of the Hellenic Supreme Court of Civil and Criminal Justice on 30-6-2020.
During her career she attended training programs of the National School of Judicial Officers and participated in scientific conferences and related events of legal entities.

Iosif Tsalaganides (4/9/2019 - 30/6/2020)  

Iosif Tsalaganidis

President of the Supreme Court of Civil and Criminal Justice of Greece

Mr Iosif Tsalaganidis was appointed in August 2019 as President of the Hellenic Supreme Court of Civil and Criminal Justice (Areios Pagos).

The Court is the Supreme Court of Greece for all civil and criminal law matters.

Born in Athens, Mr Tsalaganidis graduated from the Law School with «excellent command» and speaks English and German. He is married and has four children.

His Honour served on various Courts in Greece before his appointment as President of the Supreme Court. He was:

• Associate Judge at the Court of First Instance of Piraeus from 1979 to 1981,

• First Instance Judge assigned to the Court of First Instance of Lamia from April 1981 to November 1989,

• Judge and Senior Judge of the Court of First Instance at the Court of First Instance of Piraeus from November 1989 to September 1999,

• Appeal Court Judge in the Athens Court of Appeal from 1999 until September 2008,

• President of Appeals at the Aegean Court of Appeal from September 2008 to September 2010,

• President of Appeals at the Athens Court of Appeal from September 2010 to September 2012,

• Supreme Court Judge (Areopagitis) from August 2012 until October 2018,

• Vice President of Supreme Court of Civil and Criminal Justice (in the A2 Civil Department of the Supreme Court) and

• President of the Hellenic Supreme Court of Civil and Criminal Justice from August 2019.

Vasileios Peppas  (18/9/2017 - 30/6/2019)

Vasileios G. Peppas was born in Serifos Cyclades in 1952. He is a graduate of the Law School of the Athens University and he speaks English and German very well.

He joined the judiciary in 1979, following successful participation in the Judicial Assistants’ Competition and he was appointed Associate Judge at the Court of First Instance of Piraeus. He was promoted to the rank of First Instance Judge in 1981 and he was assigned to the Court of First Instance of Kozani. In 1982 he was transferred to the Court of First Instance of Veria and later to the Court of First Instance of Athens, where he served as Investigator Judge in 1985-1987 and as Bankruptcy Rapporteur Judge in 1992-1993. In 1996 he was promoted to Senior Judge of the Court of First Instance and he was initially placed in the Court of First Instance of Kalamata and in 1997 at the Court of First Instance of Athens, where in 1998 he supervised the practical training of 21 students of the National School of Judicial Officers at the Court of First Instance of Athens. In 1999 he was promoted to Appeal Court Judge and he was placed in the Court of Appeal of Nafplion. In 2000 he was transferred to the Athens Court of Appeal, where he was elected and served as alternate member of the three-member Board of Directors of the Athens Court of Appeal for a three-year period (1.10.2008 to 30.9.2011). In 2009 he was promoted to the rank of Senior Judge at the Court of Appeals and he was assigned to the Court of Appeal of Athens. In 2013 he was promoted to Supreme Court Judge (Areopagitis) and he joined the A2 Civil Department of the Supreme Court and later the A1 Civil Department.

• Training program at the National School of Judicial Officers, on "Criminal Law Today: A Means of Protection or Freedom", 23-25.10.2007

• Training program at the National School of Judicial Officers, on "Crime and the Rule of Law", 4-6.11.2009

• Training program at the National School of Judicial Officers, on "Economic crime", 7-9.2.2011

• Training program at the National School of Judicial Officers, on "The judicial protection of human rights according to the European Convention of Human Rights", 29-30.11.2012

• Member of the Special Legislative Preparatory Committee on the ratification of the 1996 Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, etc. on Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children

• Participant in the meeting of judges from 15 Member States organized by the Court of Justice of the European Communities in Luxembourg, 14-15.10.1996

• Designated representative of the Ministry of Justice at the meeting to draft national legislation on civil liability in the event of a nuclear accident and draft a draft proposal.

• Participant in the conference organized by The World Bank in Athens, 12-14.4.2011

• Participant in the meeting of Supreme Court Judges of the EU Member States organized by the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg, 17-19.11.2014

Vasiliki Thanou-Christofilou  (1/7/2015 - 30/6/2017)

Year of Birth: 1950

Place of Birth: Chalkis

Marital Status: Married with three children.

Graduate: Graduate of the Law School of Athens University

Post-graduate Studies: European Law at University Paris ΙΙ, Sorbonne (D.S.U), in Paris

Foreign Languages: Very good knowledge in French and English

Entered the Judiciary in 1975 and was promoted to President in the Courts of First Instance in 1992, to the degree of the Judge of the Appellate Court in 1996 and to a President in the Appellate Courts in 2005. After her promotion to an Areopagite, she served from 2008 to 2014 at the D’ chamber of Areios Pagos. At 2014, she was promoted to Vice-President of the Supreme Court and presided at the D’ chamber. From  27th August to 21st  September 2015 she was appointed Interim Prime Minister under  the provisions of article 37§3 of the Constitution and on 22.9.2015 she returned to the Presidency of the Supreme Court.

She has participated in many European and International Conferences, regarding Law and the Function of Justice, as a representative of the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Justice and the Association of Judges and Prosecutors. She has been elected President of the Association of Judges and Prosecutors (AJP), for two successive terms (2012 – 2014, 2014-2016), while she has been a member of the Bureau of AJP for the last fifteen (15) years. She is also a member of the Association of Solicitors and the Association of Proceduralists.

She has been teaching at the National School of the Judiciary (Civil Law) for six (6) years.

Scientific Work

a) “Civil Law and the Protection of the Environment”, report at the Conference of the Association of Judges and Prosecutors, 1997

b) “Motor Insurance Bureau”, report at the Conference of the Association of Judges and Prosecutors, 2001

c) “Litigation (on reduction) of the insurer against insured persons, in case of exemption from the insurance coverage”, Report at the Conference of the Association of Private Insurance and Car Accidents Insurance Counsels (Ε.Ν.Δ.Ι.Α.Α.Τ.Α), 2011.

d) “Who is not considered to be a third party and is not liable to compensation from the insurance agent, article 6§2 Law 489/1976”, report at the Conference of the Association of Private Insurance and Car Accidents Insurance Counsels (Ε.Ν.Δ.Ι.Α.Α.Τ.Α), 2012.

e) “Judicial Mediation”, report at the Conference of the Association of Judges and Prosecutors, 2013

f) References on the recent jurisprudence of the Supreme Court on compensation disputes regarding vehicle accidents, Conference of the Review of Transportation Law, 2014

ATHANASIOS KOUTROMANOS (12/8/2014 - 30/6/2015)

Athanasios Koutromanos was born in Neochori Karditsa in 1948. He is married with two children.

He graduated from the Lyceum on classical studies in Karditsa in 1966 and received his degree from the Law School of Athens in 1971. After his military service, he successfully participated as a trainee lawyer in relevant examinations and was appointed associate judge in the Court of First Instance in Athens.

He successively served:

as First Instance Judge in the Court of First Instance in Pyrgos Ileias for four years and in the Court of First Instance in Piraeus for ten years (in the department of labour and seafarers' law, in departments of maritime law, as investigating judge for four years and as rapporteur judge on insolvency law for two years).

As Presiding Judge of First Instance Court in the Court of First Instance in Volos for three years.

He served as Appeal Court Judge in the Court of Appeal in Dodecanese for three years, in the Court of Appeal in Larissa for six years and in the Court of Appeal in Athens for one year (in the department of contract law).

He served as Presiding Judge of Appeal Court in the Court of Appeal in Thessaloniki for two years (in departments of civil litigation of the State and penal law).

He served as Supreme Court Judge (Areopagite) for five years (in the department of contract, commercial and family and enforcement law).

He became Vice-president of Areios Pagos and served for three years in the above mentioned department.

He was chosen President of the Supreme Court on August 12, 2014.

He has good command of English and moderate knowledge of German

MICHAIL THEOCHARIDIS (8/8/2013 - 30/6/2014)

M. Theocharidis was born in Agrapidies of the municipality of Amynteon in Florina Prefecture in 1947. He is married with two children. Having finished his high school studies, he studied at the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, from which he graduated in 1971. On 01.08.1973 he was appointed Justice of the Peace in the Court of Peace at Sappes Rodopi, where he served until 1974. On 23.07.1974, after successful participation in the examination conducted for Salaried Associate Judges, in which he ranked third, he was appointed Associate Judge in the Court of First Instance of Evros. He served successively as Associate Judge in the Court of First Instance of Evros (1974-1976), as First Instance Judge in the Courts of First Instance of Rodopi, Kavala and Thessaloniki (during 1976-1980, 1980-1988 and 1988-1990, respectively), as President of the First Instance Courts of Veria and Thessaloniki (during 1990-1992 and 1992-1993, respectively), as Appeal Judge of the Court of Appeals of Thessaloniki (from 1993 to 2004) and as Chairman of the Courts of Appeals of Lamia and Larissa (during 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, respectively).

He was promoted to the rank of the Areopagite in June 2006 and became Vice President of the Supreme Court on 07.08.2010.

He has actively participated in the Faculty of the National School of Judges, where he taught Commercial Law during 1997-1999 and Civil Law (Property Law - Heritage Law) during 2004-2005 and in 2009. He was a member of the 2010 Entrance Examination Committee for the National School of Judges regarding the fields of Civil and Criminal Justice. He is research associate of the legal journal "Journal of Civil Procedure". In January 2012 he was appointed General Director of the National School of Judges, following a unanimous decision of the Supreme Judicial Council, a position he served in until May 2013. During his incumbency at the National School of Judges, he organized sixteen (16) training seminars for judicial officers, in which he was actively involved, he represented the School at the Assembly of the Schools for Judges of the European Countries in Copenhagen and in the context of bilateral cooperation with the Faculty of the Academy of Justice of Turkey, he led a delegation of judges from the three superior courts of Greece in meetings with a delegation of the Turkish Justice Academy, both in Ankara and in Thessaloniki.

RENA ASIMAKOPOULOU (8/7/2011 - 30/6/2013)

Rena Asimakopoulou was born in Hatzi Pilias Messinias in the year 1946. She graduated from the public High School of Hatzi Pilias Messinias in 1964 and was admitted in the Law Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in the same year. After her graduation, she was appointed Assistant to Rapporteur Judge in the Court of First Instance in Kalamata in 1969. In 1972 she succeeded in the exams held for Rapporteur Judges, was appointed Associate Judge of the Court of First Instance in Athens, and in the following years she was promoted:

a) In 1974 she became Judge of a Court of First Instance and served in the Courts of First Instance in Mesologgi, Patras, Korinthos and Athens,

b) In 1985 she was promoted to President of a Court of First Instance and served in the Courts of First Instance in Sparta and Athens,

c) In 1990 after her promotion to Judge of an Appeal Court, she served in the Department of Commercial and Contract Law of the Appeal Court of Thessaloniki, followed by her service in the Department of Commercial and Contract Law, and in the Decree Department in the Court of Appeal of Athens,

d) In 2003 she was promoted to a President of a Court of Appeal and served in the Decree Department of the Appeal Court of Thessaloniki and in the Department of Commercial and Contract Law in the Court of Appeal of Athens,

e) In 2005 after her promotion to a Judge of the Supreme Court, she served in the A2 Department of Commercial, Contract Law and Mandatory Execution,

f) To be followed by her promotion to Vice-president  of the A2 Department of the Supreme Court in 2010. 

GEORGIOS KALAMIDAS   (3/7/2009 - 30/6/2011)

Georgios Dim. Kalamidas was born in Agrinio in 1944. He is married and father of one child. He entered the Law Department of the National Capodistrian University of Athens in 1962 and graduated in 1967 (degree grade: “very well”). He served in the Greek Army for twenty-six months as a reserve officer and got a law practicing permit from the Athens’ bar in 1969. He participated in the competition for stipendiary assistant judges that was held on the 17th of January 1972 and was ranked 4th among approximately 500 candidates; he was then appointed as a stipendiary assistant judge at the Athens Court of First Instance in 1972 and subsequently as a Judge at the same court in 1974. He was promoted to Presiding Judge at the Athens Court of First Instance in 1985, to Judge at the Court of Appeal in 1990, to Presiding Judge at the same Court in 2002 and in 2004 to Areopagite - Judge at the Hellenic Supreme Civil and Penal Court – Areios Pagos. During his tenure as Presiding Judge at the Court of First Instance, he was elected as a member of the Administration Board of the Athens Court of First Instance where he served for one year. In Areios Pagos he served for three years as a Judge in chamber A1 and as a Vice-president in chambers A2 and A1. He has chaired many examination committees for Judges, Notaries and Lawyers as well as in a lawmaking committee. His Ph.D. in Civil Law in the University of Athens is pending. He speaks English and teaches as a distinguished scientist in the postgraduate programme of the Panteion University (direction of private law). 

VASILEIOS NIKOPOULOS (24/7/2007 - 30/6/2009)

Vasileios Nikopoulos was born in 1942 in the village ‘Pogoniskos’ in the regional centre of Konitsa, in Ioannina. He is married with two children.He graduated from Konitsa’s Gymnasium in which every year he managed to gain a scholarship from the State Scholarships Foundation as a first class student.He graduated from the Law Faculty of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with distinction while he continued to receive the scholarship from the State Scholarships Foundation as a first class student again. He served in the Greek Army for two years as a reserve officer. He entered the judiciary in 1971 through examination in which he came first.

He was promoted to Presiding Judge at the Court of First Instance in 1984, to Judge at the Court of Appeal in 1989, to Presiding Judge at the Court of Appeal in 2001, to Areopagite - Judge at the Hellenic Supreme Civil and Penal Court- Areios Pagos in 2004, to Vice-president of Areios Pagos in 2006 and to President of Areios Pagos in 2007.In 1986 he was awarded with his Master degree with distinction from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The same institution appointed him Professor in 1992.He published numerous legal works related to Civil Law, Civil Procedure Law and the History in the Philosophy of Law in many legal magazines. In 1992 he published his doctorate thesis on ‘the legal thought of Paul, the Apostle’.He taught for 10 years Civil Procedure Law in the National School of Judges.

Romilos Kedikoglou was born in 1940 in Heraklion-Crete. He is married and father of one child. He graduated from the Law Department of the National Capodistrian University of Athens with distinction. After serving for two years in the Greek Army as soldier, he studied in TUEBINGEN, BONN and FRANKFURT/AM MAIN Universities as scholar of the Hellenic Republic. In 1981 he was awarded his doctorate at the Law Department of GOETHE UNIVERSITÄT/ FRANKFURT AM MAIN.


He entered the judiciary in 1968 through examination, was promoted to Presiding Judge at the Court of First Instance in 1980, to Judge at the Court of Appeal in 1984, to Presiding Judge at the Court of Appeal in 1997, to Areopagite - Judge at the Hellenic Supreme Court - Areios Pagos in 2000, to Vice-president of Areios Pagos in 2004 and to President of Areios Pagos in 2005. He has served in the Court of First Instance of Athens, Thessaloniki and Livadia and in the Court of Appeal of Athens and Pireus. He speaks German fluently and has fair knowledge of French and English. His scientific projects on "The right to a compulsory portion in Inheritance Law" and on "The limitations of property rights" have been published and he has participated in several drafting law committees.

GEORGIOS KAPOS    (18/7/2002 - 30/6/2005)

Georgios Kapos was born in 1938 at Neohorio Olympias. He is married and is the father of two children. He graduated in 1961 from the Law Department of the National Capodistrian University of Athens and was appointed assistant Judge at the Court of First Instance in 1966. He was promoted to Judge at the Court of First Instance in 1968 and to Presiding Judge in 1978. In 1980 he was promoted to Judge at the Court of Appeal and in 1993 was promoted to Presiding Judge at the same court. He was promoted to Vice President of the Hellenic Supreme Court - Areios Pagos in July 2001 and in July 2002 was selected for the presidency of Areios Pagos.

He was President of the draft committees for Process Servers Code (law 2318/1995), Fictitious Pawn (law 2844/2000) and the Executive law of the Article 89 of the Constitution (law 2993/2002) and was a member of the Revision Committee of the Civil Code draft. Finally, he was a Professor of civil law in the National School of Judges for four years.

STEFANOS MATTHIAS    (1996 - 2002)

VASILIOS KOKKINOS    (1990 - 1996)

IOANNIS GRIVAS    (1989 - 1990)

ANTONIOS STASINOS    (1985 - 1989)

GEORGIOS KONSTAS    (1982 - 1985)

DIMITRIOS SKOUMPIS    (1979 - 1982)

SPIRIDON KOLLAS    (1978 - 1979)

GEORGIOS KARAMANOS    (1977 - 1978)

SPIRIDON GAGGAS    (1976 - 1977)

KONSTANTINOS ZACHARIS    (1975 - 1976)

DIMITRIOS MARGELLOS    (1974 - 1975)

LISANDROS KANELLAKOS    (1973 - 1974)

VASILIOS PATSOURAKOS    (1970 - 1973)

ATHANASIOS GEORGIOU    (1969 - 1970)

THEODOROS KAMPERIS    (1968 - 1969)

STILIANOS MAVROMICHALIS    (1963 - 1968)

KONSTANTINOS KAFKAS    (1959 - 1963)

IOANNIS APOSTOLOPOULOS    (1953 - 1959)

CHRISTOS STAVROPOULOS    (1953)

ILIAS PAPAILIOU    (1948 - 1953)

IOANNIS SAKKETAS    (1945 - 1948)

KONSTANTINOS KYRILLOPOULOS    (1941 - 1945)

GEORGIOS PANOPOULOS    (1933 - 1941)

ANTONIOS ZILIMON    (1922 - 1933)

SPIRIDON TSAGRIS    (1921 - 1922)

CHRISTOS KAPSALIS    (1911 - 1921)

KONSTANTINOS SIMANTIRAS    (1891 - 1911)

NIKOLAOS DELIGIANNIS    (1885 - 1891)

DIMITRIOS VALVIS    (1872 - 1885)

ARIS MORAITINIS    (1861 - 1872)

GEORGIOS A. RALLIS    (1849 - 1861)

CHRISTOS KLONARIS    (1848 - 1849)

IOANNIS SOMAKIS    (1847 - 1848)

CHRISTOS KLONARIS    (1835 - 1847)