Greece

Sociology of law is not a developed or well-accepted discipline in Greece. This is true of most interdisciplinary approaches to law, including the recently introduced law and economics. With the possible exception of legal philosophy, theoretical perspectives are considered marginal in an academic environment that may be characterized as highly positivistic and formalistic.

Legal sociology began with the influential work of a major civilist, Georgios Michailides-Nouaros (1909–2002). Trained in the French sociolegal tradition, he laid the foundations for a sociological approach to law, which he viewed as the product of the collective action of social actors. In books and articles, he developed and refined a theory for law-in-action that was inspired by Eugen Ehrlich's (1862–1922) “living law,” focusing on the behavioral and cultural elements of Greek law. His work monopolized the Greek market for legal sociology in the postwar era. However, despite its high quality, it did not speed the slow rate of evolution of Greek legal sociology.

It is characteristic in Greece that today there is only one professorship in sociology of law. Nikolaos Intzessiloglou, the leading figure in Greek sociology of law, holds that chair at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki School of Law (the second oldest law school in the country). His main contribution is the application of systems analysis in legal sociology. He is an active member of the International Institute for the Sociology of Law, and he has published widely in French and English. He served as editor of the only specialized journal in the field,Aisymnetes: Annals of Sociology of Law, which unfortunately was shortlived, halting its circulation indefinitely after only five issues. Intzessiloglou was also the founder of the Society for the Study and Research on Sociology of Law, which is no longer active.

One of the principal reasons why sociology of law in Greece has remained parochial is the centrality of the University of Athens in Greek academic life. Nevertheless, two professors have produced significant work in legal sociology, although it is not their main area of research. Thanasis Papachristou (a family law theorist) recently [Page 677]wrote an interesting survey of the field (emphasizing European contributions), as well as several articles and monographs in the 1970s. Ioanna Lambiri-Dimaki (1935–2004), a sociologist, published several empirical studies. Together they founded a monograph series, publishing the work of young scholars of varying quality. This work has remained marginal, since mainstream legal scholarship did not use it. Perhaps the announcement of a lectureship in sociology of law, the first of its kind at the University of Athens, may improve the field.

Several younger scholars are today active in the field, having published in Greek and other languages. Among others, these include Panagiotis Karakatsoulis (working on autopoietic law and institutional reform), Efi Lambropoulou (specializing in sociology of criminal law), and Aspasia Tsaoussis (writing in sociology and economics of family law).

The work of Greek legal sociologists has exerted a minimal impact on Greek legal scholarship and on the advancement of the field at a European or international level, as judged by their participation in professional communities or the number of citations to their work. Given the lack of a centralized national association, there is currently a large void in several key areas of academic activity, such as in the development of interdisciplinary academic programs or the organization of seminars and workshops. Recent financial support from the Greek government should function as an incentive for more interdisciplinary research, encouraging students and young scholars to investigate the social repercussions of legal institutions.

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