A draft amendment tabled in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon foresees the automatic prosecution (proprio motu) against anyone targeting a court officer participating in a property auction with simple assault or threats of violence or any other illegal action.
The stricter legal framework aims to safeguard notaries and judicial officials overseeing such auctions in the country, given that protesters have blocked proceedings over the past months with mobilizations, often violent, at local courts and even private notary offices.
Another provision in the draft amendment foresees penalties for anyone attempting to block or interrupt an auction.
Associations representing notaries have long demanded protection from violent protests and threats, a recurring scene at local courts in Greece every Wednesday over the past few months.
