THE HELLENIC COUNCIL OF STATE (THE SUPREME ADMINISTRATIVE COURT) OF GREECE AND ITS POSITION IN THE EUROPEAN LEGAL ORDER
AN ONLINE NORTH SOUTH JUDICIAL DIALOGUE DURING THE GLOBAL SOUTH NETWORK (GSN) JUDGES GUEST LECTURE SERIES
MONDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2025, 12:30 UK TIME (14:30 GREECE TIME)
FULL ARTICLE BASED ON THE GUEST SPEAKER’S TALK IS AVAILABLE AS FOLLOWS:
GUEST SPEAKER: HONOURABLE JUSTICE MICHAIL PIKRAMENOS, PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC COUNCIL OF STATE (SUPREME ADMINISTRATIVE COURT) OF GREECE
Since July 2024, Michail Pikramenos has served as President of the Council of State. Born in Kalamata (Peloponnese) in 1960, he holds a Master’s degree in Law from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a Master’s degree in Political Science from Panteion University in Athens. He also earned a PhD in Political Science from the University of Athens.
His career at the Greek Council of State began in 1989 as an Assistant Judge. He was promoted to Associate Councilor in 1996, Councilor in 2011, Vice-President in 2018, and ultimately President in July 2024.
In addition to his judicial career, Mr. Pikramenos is a professor of public law at the Law Faculty of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where he also directs the postgraduate program in public law and political science. From 2013 to 2016, he served as Director General of the National School of Judiciary.
He has represented Greece in various international bodies, including the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice from 2011 to 2018, the European Judicial Training Network from 2013 to 2016, and the Network of the Supreme Courts of the ECHR from 2017 to 2018.
Mr. Pikramenos has also taught at the National School of Judiciary (2001–2007) and the National School of Public Administration (1994–1995). He has chaired or participated in several legislative committees. His research and publications focus on constitutional and administrative law, the history of institutions, and the organization of the state and the justice system.
DISCUSSANTS
HONOURABLE JUSTICE LUIS ALBERTO ALVAREZ PARRA, PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF STATE (SUPREME ADMINISTRATIVE COURT) OF COLOMBIA.
Dr Luis Alberto Álvarez Parra is a Colombian lawyer and specialist in administrative law from the Santo Tomás University; specialist in constitutional law and in philosophy of law and legal theory from the Universidad Libre; specialist in public law, contentious administrative law and state contracting from the Externado de Colombia University, master’s degree in municipal government and candidate for a doctor of law from the same university.
Since September 2019, he has served as a magistrate of the Fifth Section of the Council of State of Colombia; In 2024 he was elected vice president and is currently the president of the Corporation for 2025.
In Colombia, he has served as a magistrate of the administrative courts of Cundinamarca and Meta; departmental delegate of the National Registry in Cundinamarca, Caldas, Arauca, Tolima and Meta; presidential delegate to the Superior Council of the University of the Llanos; and has held several positions in the Comptroller General of the Republic, such as general auditor of the National Savings Fund, head of the personnel division, territorial delegate and sectional director for Meta; In addition to having served as a criminal delegate ombudsman in Villavicencio and municipal ombudsman in Cumaral, Meta.
HONOURABLE JUSTICE MAHUBE BETTY MOLEMELA, PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEAL OF SOUTH AFRICA.
Honourable Justice Mahube Betty Molemela is the Fourth President of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa, appointed on 1 June 2023. She holds law degrees from the University of Fort Hare and the University of the Free State, including an LLM in Mercantile Law, as well as postgraduate qualifications in military law, business management, labour law, and human rights.
Her legal career began as a prosecutor and attorney before her judicial appointments. She became the first female Judge President of the Free State Division of the High Court (2015–2018), has served as a Judge of Appeal since 2018, and has acted in the Constitutional Court, Labour Appeal Court, and Supreme Court of Appeal. She currently also chairs the Judicial Oversight and Judicial Accountability Committees, and is a member of the Judicial Service Commission and SAJEI Council.
Justice Molemela has contributed widely to legal education and governance, serving as Chancellor of the Central University of Technology (2016–2023), trustee of the South African Chapter of the IAWJ, and board member of the Free State Symphony Orchestra, among others. Her work has been recognised through numerous awards, including an Honorary Doctorate in Law (2019), the Black Conveyancers Transformation Award (2017), and the CEO Global Africa’s Most Influential Woman in Business and Government (SADC South Region) (2019/2020).
HONOURABLE JUSTICE KARI KUUSINIEMI, PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME ADMINISTRATIVE COURT OF FINLAND.
Justice Kari Kuusiniemi (b. 1960) has served as President of the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland since September 2018. He graduated from the University of Helsinki with a Master of Laws in 1982, a Licentiate of Laws in 1985, and a Doctor of Laws in 1992.
Justice Kuusiniemi has had a distinguished judicial career, serving as a Justice of the Supreme Administrative Court from 2003 to 2018, during which he held several leadership roles: Vice-President of Chamber (2010–2012), President of Chamber (2012–2018), and Vice-President of the Court (2013–2018). He previously served as Justice of the Court for fixed terms (1999–2001, 2002). In addition to his judicial career, Justice Kuusiniemi has an extensive academic background. He was Professor of Environmental Law at the University of Turku (1996–2002), Acting Professor of Law at the Helsinki University of Technology (1993–1995), Lecturer in Environmental Law (1991–1993), and Junior Research Fellow at the Academy of Finland (1985–1991). He has also held visiting positions abroad, including as Visiting Professor at the University of Louisville, Kentucky (1997). A prolific scholar, Justice Kuusiniemi has authored or co-authored around 20 books and over 100 academic articles, reports, and case comments, mainly in the fields of Environmental and Administrative Law.
He has played a key role in law reform, serving as chairman, member, or secretary of numerous legislative drafting commissions since 1985, and acted as an expert in the South African Water Law review (1995–1996). He has also contributed to broader legal and civic life through memberships in several boards, including the ERA Board of Trustees (2010–2020), the Finnish Association of European Law (2014–2022), and the National Defence Course Association, where he has been Chairman since 2020. Since 2014, he has been a member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters.
Justice Kuusiniemi also holds the rank of Senior Lieutenant (2016) following his earlier military service.
HONOURABLE JUSTICE PROFESSOR MYKHAILO SMOKOVYCH, PRESIDENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CASSATION COURT, THE SUPREME COURT OF UKRAINE.
Mykhailo Smokovych, President of the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court, LL.D., Professor, Honoured Lawyer of Ukraine.
Mykhailo Smokovych was born in the village of Velykyi Kurin, Liubeshiv District, Volyn Region, in a large farming family.He received his legal education at the Ukrainian Law Academy (presently Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University). His professional activity in the field of law spans more than 34 years, including 29 years of judicial experience. He was first appointed as a judge in 1996. Mr. Smokovych is one of the founders of administrative justice in Ukraine. Since 2003, he has served as a judge of the High Administrative Court of Ukraine, Secretary of the Plenum of the High Administrative Court of Ukraine, and later Deputy President of this Court.
On November 10, 2017, Mr. Smokovych was appointed judge of the Supreme Court in the Administrative Cassation Court. Since December 6, 2017, he has been serving as President of the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court.
Mykhailo Smokovych also has extensive experience in academic and teaching work. He is a Professor at the Department of State and Legal Disciplines of the I. Malynovskyi Educational and Scientific Institute of Law of the National University “Ostroh Academy.” His main areas of scholarly interest include: the protection of human rights; administrative law and procedure; the legal regulation of electoral disputes;
the determination of the jurisdiction of administrative courts and the delimitation of judicial jurisdictions; constitutional law; and the improvement of judicial proceedings in the context of European integration. Professor Smokovych is the author of more than 150 scientific works, including monographs and textbooks on the theory and practice of administrative proceedings.
HONOURABLE JUSTICE YVES GOUNIN FRENCH CONSEIL D’ETAT (THE COUNCIL OF STATE FRANCE)
Honourable Justice Yves Gounin is alumnus of École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales, ESSEC Business School, Sciences Po Paris, Sorbonne University (BA in History, BA in Geography) and ENA (Ecole Nationale d’ Administration), Justice Yves Gounin joined the State Council in 1996. He was seconded to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs as deputy French ambassador in Kenya and Somalia (2000-2003), legal adviser of the Senegalese President of the Republic (2006-2009) and Deputy Chief of staff of the French Delegate Minister for European Affairs (2011-2012). He is now the Delegate for International Affairs of the French Conseil d’Etat.
GLOBAL SOUTH NETWORK (GSN) 