The current situation and the attitudes of judicial officials in Greece regarding their training needs

The education and training of the judiciary is an issue that concerns the quality and efficiency of the judicial system. The aim of this research is to investigate the current situation and attitudes of judicial officers of the criminal-civil courts, administrative courts and prosecutors' offices in Greece regarding their training and education. They received this training both during their first period of appointment (introductory training) and during their period of service (continuing training). There is very little research on the training and education of judicial officials in Greece, which makes this research necessary. An online structured questionnaire, consisting of seven sections, was designed for the needs of the survey, which was answered by 273 respondents. The results of the survey indicate the absence of an organized training by the judicial officers' branch, as well as the increase in the performance and effectiveness of judicial officers when they are trained. Finally, possible solutions and improvements for the education - training policy of judicial officials are proposed.


Introduction
Clerks, typists and clerks must have certain knowledge, skills and attitudes in order to perform their duties properly and wisely.With regard to secretaries, who make up the largest proportion of judicial officials, the minimum formal qualifications according to the notices of the Greek Supreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection (which is an independent authority responsible for securing the implementation of the provisions on public sector staff recruitment), for filling the vacant posts in the services of the Greek Ministry of Justice, is the degree or diploma of a department or school of a higher educational institution in Greece or equivalent in foreign countries.The typical qualification for appointment to positions in the category of secondary education is defined as a high school diploma or equivalent qualification of another school or a technical vocational school diploma of secondary education or an equivalent qualification of another school, while for the category of compulsory education is defined as a diploma of compulsory education 4798/2021 article 19 (Code of Judicial Employees, 2021).In addition, the knowledge of a foreign language from the European Union countries and the knowledge of computer operation is considered necessary (Association of Judicial Officers of Athens, c.h.) In addition, in the course of their service, judicial officials should be able to be familiar with the provisions of the Code of Administrative Procedure (Law 2690 /1999), which defines the citizen's dealings with the public services, as well as the general procedural procedures of the Court in which they serve, so that they are first of all able to distinguish the scope of their duties, as well as the provisions of the Codes (Civil, Criminal and Administrative Procedure), which relate to the duties of the positions they serve (Nasiakou, 2009).
At the skills level, cooperation, conflict management and resolution are considered essential to create a good working atmosphere.Also, according to the Guide to Good Administrative Behavior, civil servants "must demonstrate creativity and participation that promotes actions of people-centred management, as well as responsibility, patience and perseverance in the performance of their duties".At the same time, in the performance of their duties, they are obliged to serve the citizen, while avoiding the unnecessary or excessive use of public material (Karachalios, Diniakos, Prevezanou, & Protopapas, 2012).
At the attitudinal level, judicial officers must express a desire for further training regarding the legal regime governing the position they serve, be informed of amendments to laws and be able to adapt the application of new regulations to judicial practice.In addition, they should receive regular training on the introduction of new technologies (digitization of data, electronic filing of documents, etc.).
The aim of this research is to provide valuable information on the current situation and attitudes of the judicial officers of the criminal-civil courts, administrative courts and prosecutors' offices in Greece regarding their training and education.They received this training both during their first period of appointment (introductory training) and during their period of service (continuing training).There is very little research on the training and education of judicial officials in Greece, which makes this research necessary.An online structured questionnaire, consisting of seven sections, was designed for the needs of the survey, which was answered by 273 respondents.

Education and training of judicial staff
With regard to the education and training of judicial officers, it is important to mention that the recent development in this area concerns the establishment of National School of Judiciary (NSJ).The purpose of the National School of Judiciary is as follows: Selecting, training and evaluating trainee judicial officers who shall be appointed at the Council of State, the Civil and Criminal Courts, the Court of Audit, the Ordinary Administrative Courts; and providing lifelong training to serving judicial officers.There is no research on its effectiveness, as its creation is very recent.
The NSJ is an educational institution that deals with the selection, pre-service and continuous training of judges, prosecutors and judicial officers (NSJ, 2023a).The competition for admission to the NSJ for judicial officials is held every year and concerns secretaries in the university, technological and secondary education categories.This competition consists of written and oral tests in subjects relating to legislation, procedure, public administration, language, computer skills and professional conduct (NSJ, 2023c).
The training of judicial officers in the NSJ includes two stages of training: a theoretical stage, lasting three months and held in Thessaloniki, and a practical stage, also lasting three months and held in various prefectures (mainly in Athens and Thessaloniki).The NSJ training aims to train and evaluate the judicial candidates in order to provide them with the necessary knowledge, skills and competences for the exercise of their profession.Success in the NSJ competition and training entitles judicial officers to be appointed to cadet positions in various judicial services, such as the Courts of First Instance, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court, the Court of Audit and the Council of State (Ministry of Justice).
For the Judicial Officers already in service, NSJ offers various continuing education programmes, both at its headquarters in Thessaloniki and distance learning programmes (e-learning).These programmes mainly deal with specific and topical issues concerning the particular duties of judicial officers.The first seminars designed for this purpose were the following: "Code of Judicial Officers, as currently in force", "Elements of Criminal Procedure and Criminal Law", "General Regulation on Personal Data Protection -Sensitive Personal Data" (NSJ, 2023b).For the first seminar to be held on 19-20/10/2023 in person in Thessaloniki, electronic applications have already been received, which have exceeded the required number of 150 places, which proves the interest of judicial officers in the training-education.These programmes are voluntary and free of charge for judicial officials and often include counselling and evaluation.In order to participate in the programmes, judicial officers must apply for registration with the NSJ, meet the conditions set out in each programme and receive a confirmation message.
Bey (2021) investigated the existence or not of service learning in the judicial branch.Specifically, she examined the demographic characteristics of judicial officers in Greece, their previous training experiences, their current training needs and their preferred ways of learning, their motivation/incentives for participating in a future training activity, and how their demographic characteristics and previous training experiences influence their choice of topic modules and motivation/incentives for a future seminar.One hundred and eleven participants completed a questionnaire in the form of a Google form and the data were processed in the statistical program SPSS, version 27. 93.7% of the participants indicated that they had not attended the introductory training, 54.1% that they had attended a service training programme and a 33.3% that they had attended 1-3 training programmes, mainly in information and communication technologies (ICT) and public administration.Regarding the subjects they would prefer to attend these are as follows: 1. digital skills, 2. quality citizen service, 3. human resources management, 4. crisis management, 5. basic principles of communication, 6. the Code of Civil Procedure and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 7. Conflict management, 8.The General Data Protection Regulation and 9. Personnel evaluation.Finally, lack of time, lack of usefulness, non-monetization and inadequate equipment were cited as barriers to participation in a training programme.
Georgaki's (2020) research aimed to investigate the need for training of criminal justice officials.Two unstructured interviews were conducted with individuals holding a position of responsibility in a Judicial Service.The results of the survey highlighted the need for training programmes for newly appointed judicial officers, to be organized by the Ministry of Justice, law schools and judicial or bar associations.This training is considered to be of fundamental importance in view of the specific nature of the judiciary and the inadequate training provided to date by the Judicial Service.The researcher also proposes "the recording of all the work of the Service in detail by subject and department in a digital system, in order to provide a training tool for every active employee to address any queries, handling difficulties or erudition", and the changing of the subjects of employment of judicial employees every four years, with the aim of acquiring global knowledge and achieving their professional development.Axi (2020) studied judicial officers' views on the motivations and barriers they encounter in their training and how these affect its quality and effectiveness.Two hundred and twenty-two electronic questionnaires were completed and five judicial officers participated in a semi-structured interview.The importance of informing judicial officials on e-government and new technologies, on modern ways of serving citizens, and on operational issues of judicial services were important motives for judicial officials to participate in training activities, while the difficulty of relieving officials from their official duties, the mismatch between the content of the training programmes and the needs of the judiciary were mentioned as important obstacles to participation in training activities.Judicial officials expressed their general satisfaction with the effectiveness of the training programmes, but also their dissatisfaction with the way in which they were organized.Sivva's (2020) research examined the training needs of the judicial officers of the Criminal Courts and the Public Prosecutor's Offices of Greece, their expectations of the characteristics that their trainers should have, as well as their perceptions of the extent to which reforms in the justice sector are achieved through training activities.Two hundred and two electronic and paper questionnaires were completed.Survey participants emphasized their desire to be trained in the new Criminal Codes, e-government, teleworking and the use of the Integrated Judicial Case Management System for Civil and Criminal Justice (ICMS-CJP).They stressed the need for their trainers to possess and use the principles of adult education and to be fully trained in the particular training modules they are required to teach.Finally, they suggested the use of active judicial officers as trainers in training programmes, the need to create a digital training platform, the development of digital training materials, the importance of continuously identifying the training needs of judicial officers and the need to follow up on the reforms of the training programmes in question.Tahmatzidou (2018) investigated in her the training of judicial officers using a structured questionnaire.Two hundred and seventy judicial officials from all over Greece responded to the questionnaire.The results of the survey showed that "almost 30% of judicial officers, even if they have many years of experience, have not attended any training program in general from any institution".Most of the participants said that they have never been asked about the nature of their training needs, that they would like to be trained in Human Resource Management/Public Management, Introduction of Innovative Practices and Information Technology and that training for judicial officers should be mandatory.Finally, the researcher concluded that there is a need to establish a school exclusively for judicial officers, which could meet many specific educational and training needs of judicial officers.
The views of fifty-eight judicial officials of the Dodecanese Prefecture regarding their training needs and the reasons that led them to participate in training activities were investigated by Kourkoulou (2018), using a questionnaire.83.3% of the participants indicated the need for further training, 60.5% that they had never taken part in any training and 50% that their training was implemented.Regarding the subject of the training programmes, 26.7% of the participants stated that they attended programmes on e-government and computers, 33.3% on economy and fiscal policy and 13.3% on social policy.The reasons that prompted the judicial officers to attend a training programme were personal interest, the possibility of professional development, the crediting of the training programme, the insufficiency of their knowledge for their work, the need for interpersonal communication and the requirement for the institution to conduct the training.Thirty-nine participants underlined the need for training for judicial officers, in particular in law and procedure, use of the office and e-mail, foreign languages, but also in communication and organisational skills, such as planning, organizing, coordinating and controlling the work of the unit, making effective decisions, dealing with problems, taking initiative and responsibility, developing professional potential, cooperating with colleagues, serving civil servants, dealing with the public and the private sector, and in the management of the judiciary.Bakula (2015) in her thesis research entitled "Exploring the training needs of court employees: The Case of Judicial Employees of the Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens", was based on interviews of judicial employees -clerks, heads of departments and judicial officers in her service.A total of 12 interviews were carried out and the following conclusions were reached: the ordinary judicial clerks-secretaries did not consider legal knowledge, which either derives from a law degree or a related degree, as necessary, unlike the heads of departments and judicial officers, the majority of whom consider it a prerequisite for the successful fulfilment of the duties of a judicial officer.However, interviewees in all three categories pointed out the necessity of knowledge of the subject matter of the job, namely the Code of Administrative Procedure and Presidential Decree 18/1989 governing the operation of the Specialized Chambers for Prosecution Cases.They also stressed the need for computer skills.
In particular, the majority of interviewees pointed out that it is important to be able to use a computer competently, to make use of all the possibilities it offers and to communicate effectively in the workplace.In addition, most of the participants stressed the need to implement training activities in public management (objections and conflicts), first aid, foreign languages, ethics and obligations of judicial officers -clerks, but also on the job, the Code of Administrative Procedure and Presidential Decree 18/1989, both at the initial and lifelong training level.Nasiakou (2009) studied the training of judicial officials in the province and, more specifically, in the prefectures of Karditsa and Trikala.The research was conducted with questionnaires in the judicial services of the above mentioned prefectures.The response of the judicial officials (94 out of 98) of the two prefectures appears to be significant at 95.9%, who consider themselves in need of training.This demonstrates their positive attitude towards education and training issues.Based on the above survey, the subjects in which the participating judicial officials wish to be trained are the following in order of preference:  New technologies and information technology, with 58.5 % of participants  subjects of specific and narrow working interest to the courts, with 20,2 % of the total  Administrative matters, with 14.9%, with 14.9%  Lastly, the development of communication skills came in at 6.4%. This survey also dealt with the knowledge and skills that the participating judicial officials consider to be in need of cultivation.The results are as follows in order of preference:  Acquiring the skill of managing resources in an effective and efficient manner, with 84.6%  Practicing the application of the provisions of the Code of Administrative Procedure relating to the mutual rights and obligations of citizens and public services, with 72.4%  Training in the use of computer programmes (windows, word, excel, internet), 68,4 %.  learning national legislation to the extent required by the job, 67.4%  Practice in the application of modern ways of serving citizens, 61.3%  Learning a foreign language, with 57.1%  Acquiring skills related to working harmoniously with colleagues and supervisors, with 56.1%  Acquiring the ability to adapt to new working conditions, flexibility, with 54.1%  Acquisition of skills relating to dealing with citizens and efficiency, with 51%  Acquiring the ability to find immediate solutions to problems that arise, 51%.

Research method
The purpose of this research is to provide valuable information on the current situation and attitudes of the judicial officers of the criminal-civil courts, administrative courts and prosecutors' offices in Greece regarding their training and education.
In order to investigate the current situation and attitudes of judicial officials in Greece regarding their training needs, an online structured questionnaire with closed-ended questions was designed using the application "Google forms".The questionnaire also included open-ended questions.The questions were grouped into seven (7) sections:  The section entitled "general demographics" was answered by all judicial officers, regardless of whether they held a position of responsibility. In the section entitled "General Court Demographics", department heads cover a range of questions regarding the actual demographics of the department. In the section entitled "current state of the services", the ). The section entitled "personal assessment of training -training needs" is answered by all judicial officials regardless of their position of responsibility.These questions cover personal preferences for the training programmes proposed in the questionnaire.Approximately four hundred (400) emails were sent as part of this survey.Also, Facebook was chosen as a means of sending the questionnaire, as many court officials are members of closed groups, as well as the messenger application.The questionnaire was left "open" for a total of eleven (11) days and 273 responses were received.
After collecting the survey data, the process of coding the responses followed so that they could be processed in a specialized statistical processing program SPSS for windows, which is widely used, user-friendly and has many features when processing data (Psarrou & Zafeiropoulos, 2004, p. 209).

Findings
Regarding the gender of the participants, 77.7% were female.The largest percentage (50.5%) of participants were aged between 46 and 55 years, followed by those aged between 36 and 45, at 31.1%.Out of the fifty (50) prefectures in Greece, employees from forty-eight (48) prefectures participated in the questionnaire, with the highest percentage of responses received from the prefecture of Attica, at 21.6%.66.7% of the respondents served in the Civil/Criminal Division, 22.7% in Prosecutors' Offices and 10.6% in Administrative Courts.
Furthermore, 29.7% of participants reported having between 11 and 20 years of experience.Very little participation in the questionnaire was shown by bailiffs, with only 1.8%, as opposed to registrars, with a 98.2% response rate.The largest percentage of participants (34.4%) held a university degree, 24.5% a master's degree, 21.2% a high school diploma, and 15.5% a second degree or master's degree.There were also doctoral degree holders (1.8%), while a very small percentage (0.7%) had finished high school.Regarding foreign language skills, 124 persons had a proven excellent knowledge of English, 30 of French, 17 of Italian, 8 of German and 1 of Russian.Finally, 78% of the respondents to the questionnaire did not hold a position of responsibility, while 13.9% stated that they held a position of Head of Department and 8.1% a position of Head of Directorate.
In the context of this paper, we focus on the findings concerning the current situation and the evaluation and attitude towards the education -training of judicial officials.
Regarding the type of training they received in the first years of their appointment, the majority of the judicial officers (93.4%) reported that they were trained by a senior colleague, while only 6.6% attended an introductory training.Moreover, the introductory training received by judicial officers during the first period of their appointment was not considered sufficient or satisfactory to help them, perform their duties in the new working environment.In particular, the majority of judicial officers rated the training they received in the first years of their appointment as having helped them to a moderate extent (34.3%), a percentage of 35% to a sufficient and good extend, while there were some participants who stated that it did not help them at all (~9%) (Figure 1).In addition, about half of the judicial officers (51.6%) stated that they had not attended any training or refresher courses since their appointment.On the other hand, 29.6% of the judicial officers have benefited from training and refresher courses organized by the National School of Judiciary.
As regards the education and training programmes that judicial officials have chosen to attend since their appointment, these are mainly related to IT and new technologies (32.9%), as well as business administration, public administration and e-government (20.2%).
Judicial officials' views on the extent to which education and training programmes have helped them to perform their duties more effectively after their appointment are divided.In particular, 27.1% of judicial officials consider that the programmes they attended after their appointment helped them "a lot" (4 on a scale of 1 to 5).On the other hand, 22.6% assess that they helped them "moderately" (3 on a scale of 1 to 5).However, it is noteworthy that 21.8% of judicial officials stated that the training and education programmes did not contribute "at all" (1 on a scale of 1 to 5) to improving their performance.
Furthermore, some judicial officers reported that the level of education and training they have acquired is largely commensurate with their responsibilities and duties.In particular, 33.3 % of judicial officials stated that their level of knowledge is "very much" (4 on a scale of 1 to 5) in line with their responsibilities.In addition, 29.6% rated their level of knowledge as "moderately" (3 on a scale of 1 to 5) adequate to their responsibilities.
It is worth noting that the majority of judicial officials, namely 88.7%, have never been asked about their educational needs.It also appeared from the survey that most judicial officials (95.8%) want their personal educational and training needs to be taken into account when designing educational -training programmes and that they have a need for education -training (95.8%).
In addition, judicial officers appeared to desire specific types of training and education to further improve their performance and effectiveness.Specifically, 90.1% of the participants indicated that training programs should be of seminar type to improve their performance.Furthermore, they were found to have specific preferences regarding the frequency of training and refresher programmes.In particular, some employees stated that they should attend training and refresher programmes once a year (43.7%) or once a semester (28.6%) (Table 1).Judicial officials were also asked about their preferences for the duration of training and education programmes.In particular, 70% of the judicial officials consider that it would be ideal if the programmes lasted between 25 and 35 hours.However, there are 4 responses that argue that the duration of a programme should be determined according to its nature and content, stating that "a programme should last as long as necessary".
The survey shows that judicial officers have clear preferences for the organisation that should be in charge of training and education programmes.Indeed, 46.9% of judicial officials indicated that the National School of Judicial Officers is the most appropriate institution for this purpose.Also, 41.8% assessed that the National School of Judiciary is the appropriate institution for this task.There were, of course, participants who suggested partnerships between various institutions, such as the Ministry of Justice and the NCJ.At the same time, 70.9% of the judicial officials stressed that it would be more efficient to have a system of continuous education and training in place.
Judicial officials recognized the importance of specialized and continuous education and training.In particular, 59.2% of judicial officials underlined that a specialized education and training for each individual service would be effective, while 68.5% of judicial officials commented that the main reason why education and training is necessary is the introduction of new technologies and e-government.Finally, 65.7% of judicial officials stated that further education and training would help improve their performance and effectiveness.
Finally, judicial officers made a number of suggestions regarding their training and further training, which are considered to be varied and particularly interesting.In particular, the training of judicial officials is a priority and a right that should be systematic and statutory, but it should also be specific, adapted to the needs and changes in the judicial system and carried out by experienced judicial officials.Moreover, it must be equal and fair for all judicial officials, regardless of the branch, grade and geographical area to which they belong, but it must also take into account the constraints and difficulties that judicial officials face in their work, such as lack of staff, workload, lack of logistical infrastructure and possible transfer.Furthermore, the training of judicial staff must take into account the objectives and expectations of judicial staff, such as improving their knowledge, skills, evaluation and promotion.Lastly, it must be flexible, differentiated and innovative, offering various forms, methods and periods of training, such as introductory, continuous, distance, evening, short or long training.

Conclusions
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the current situation and attitudes of judicial officials in Greece regarding their training needs, and to examine whether existing training programs are appropriate, using quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis through the judicial officials' assessments.
The fact that the introductory training received by judicial officers during their first of appointment was not sufficient or satisfactory to help them, perform their duties in the new work environment suggests a significant weakness in the structure and delivery of training programmes.This implies that there is a need to improve and evolve the programmes to better meet the demands and needs of judicial officers.A more sophisticated and specific approach to the creation and delivery of training programmes could also be required.
The research showed that there is a significant need for more educational and training initiatives for judicial officers.Despite the offer made by the National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government (which implements lifelong training actions, focuses on the production of fast-career executives with the co-financing of Greece and the European Union), it appears that these initiatives do not cover all the needs and areas relevant to the work of judicial officers.Therefore, consideration could be given to the creation of more education and training programmes, perhaps by other bodies, to meet these needs.
Judicial officials recognized the importance of education and training in specific areas such as IT and new technologies, as well as business administration, public administration and e-government.However, there is a significant weakness in providing adequate education and training initiatives for this group of professionals, as half of judicial officers (51.6%) have not attended any education or training programme since their appointment.This suggests the need for further development of training programmes.
The data on the effectiveness of education and training programmes show that the views of judicial officers are diverse.While a percentage (27.1%)commented that these programmes helped them "a lot", an almost equal percentage (21.8%) said that the programmes did not contribute "at all" to improving their performance.This suggests that, in addition to increasing the number of programmes, improvements may need to be made in their quality to make them more effective and more responsive to the demands and needs of court officials.
The fact that 88.7 % of judicial officials have never been asked about their training needs suggests a significant lack of communication and interaction between the administrative authorities and officials.This may lead to an insufficient adaptation of training and education programmes to their actual needs, which may negatively affect their efficiency and effectiveness at work.It is important to take into account the personal needs and preferences of each judicial officer when designing programmes for increased efficiency and effectiveness.
In addition, 95.8% of judicial officials agreed with the statement that their personal educational and training needs should be taken into account when designing an education or training programme, which demonstrates the importance of personalization in education and training.This in turn shows that judicial officers appreciate and recognize the value of an approach that takes into account their individual goals, needs and preferences.90.1% of judicial officers prefer seminars as a method of training, 43.7% prefer annual training and 28.6% prefer semester training, which shows the importance they attach to their continuous professional development.This finding underlines the need for structured and regular training and refresher training programmes that meet the individual needs and preferences of each judicial officer.70 % of judicial officers prefer training programmes to last between 25 and 35 hours, a finding which suggests the need for a specific time commitment of participants for training purposes.However, the preference of some officials for programmes that are "as long as necessary" reflects a desire for a more flexible approach that takes into account the nature and content of each programme, but also the importance of taking a more flexible and personalized approach to the creation and delivery of training and education initiatives.
Moreover, 46.9% of judicial officials consider the National School of Judicial as the most suitable institution for the development of training and educational programmes, while 41.8% prefer the NCJ, which reveals a clear preference for specialized and reliable institutions.Also, the support for a system of continuous education and training by 70.9% of judicial officers indicates a continuous need for learning and development, suggesting that continuous education and training can be a key ingredient for increased performance and effectiveness.
The fact that 59.2% of judicial officers believe that a specialized education and training for each individual service would be more effective indicates the importance of personalization and specialization in training.This highlights the need for programmes designed to meet the specific needs and challenges of each judicial service.Also, that 70.9% of court officials support the operation of a system of continuing education and training indicates a constant need for learning and development.
The fact that 65.7% of judicial officials believe that further education and training will contribute to improving their performance and effectiveness shows the recognition of the value of continuous learning and development.This underlines the importance of education and training as key tools for improving the skills, performance and effectiveness Heads of Directorate and Heads of Department of the court services, set out their views on issues relating to the staff of the service and their existing training -training. In the section entitled "assessment of training needs of court personnel", the Heads of Directorate and Heads of Department of the services, indicate the needs of the employees through the proposed training -training topics of the questionnaire.Also in the following questions of the same section their attitude towards the educationaltraining programmes is assessed. In the section entitled "current situation", judicial officers without a position of responsibility answer questions about the existing training they have received. In the section entitled 'evaluation and attitude towards training -further training', judicial officials without a position of responsibility shall reflect the degree of necessity of training -further training for the judicial officials' profession, the reasons that prompt them to undergo training and their opinion as to whether specialized training -further training programmes are effective.At the same time, there are questions about the methods of education -training that they would like (length of time, type of training, etc.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.How much did the introductory training they received in the first years of their appointment help (From 1: Did not help at all" to "5: To a large extend"

Table 1 .
Frequency of attending educational programs