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SCHOOL OF LAW

ATHANASIA DIONYSOPOULOU

                   

Academic Title: Associate Professor in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law

Office Location: Akadimias 45, 3rd Floor  

Email Address: adionisop@law.uoa.gr

Tel.: 210-3688684

Office Hours: By appointment only

                             

PROFILE

Athanasia Dionysopoulou completed her undergraduate studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where she also pursued postgraduate studies in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure. She received her doctorate in Criminal Law from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt/Main.

She is Associate Professor in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law at the Faculty of Law of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where she teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Her teaching includes Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Economic Criminal Law and Special Criminal Laws. Within the LL.M. in International and European Legal Studies, she teaches European Economic Criminal Law.
She also teaches as an adjunct professor at the Hellenic Open University.

Since 2006, she has been serving as a Scientific Associate to the Scientific Council of the Hellenic Parliament. She has also participated as a legal expert in European and international projects and in working groups in the field of judicial cooperation in criminal matters, including the mutual evaluation rounds of EU Member States.

She is an attorney-at-law and a member of the Athens Bar Association, specializing in criminal law. She speaks English, German and French.

Her academic work focuses on substantive and procedural criminal law at national and European level. She is the author of five monographs and numerous articles and studies addressing, inter alia, criminal procedure, economic criminal law, money laundering, the European Convention on Human Rights, EU criminal law and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

a) Books

  1. The defendant’s right of access to the materials of the case, Nomiki Bibliothiki, 2025.
  2. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office – structure and competence: EU and national legal order under legal pluralism, Nomiki Bibliothiki, 2023.
  3. The defendant’s right to examine witnesses against him (Article 6(3)(d) ECHR): How the common law perception and the jurisprudence of ECtHR affect the Greek criminal procedure, Nomiki Bibliothiki, 2017.
  4. The evaluation of incidentally obtained evidence in criminal proceedings, Athens–Komotini, 2009.
  5. Der Tatbestand der Geldwäsche: eine Analyse der dogmatischen Grundlagen des Paragraphen 261 StGB, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Bern, New York, Paris, Wien: Lang, 1999.

b) Articles and Contributions in Collective Works (indicative list)

  • “Comments on Greek Supreme Court (Criminal Division) judgment 1139/2025 – content and formulation of the reasoning of acquittal judgments”, Poiniki Dikaiosyni, 2026, pp. 270–272.
  • “Judicial review in EPPO Regulation – the decision on choice of forum”, Hellenic Review of European and Comparative Law, 2025.
  • “Commentary on Articles 82–86 TFEU”, in V. Christianos / M. Perakis / M. Rodopoulos, Treaty on European Union and Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union – Article-by-Article Commentary, 2nd ed., Nomiki Bibliothiki, 2025, pp. 642–689.
  • “Comment on Greek Supreme Court (Plenary) judgment 2/2025”, Poinika Chronika, 2025, p. 414 ff.
  • “Comments on CJEU Case C-292/23, judgment of 8 April 2025 – judicial review of acts of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office”, Poiniki Dikaiosyni, 2025, pp. 618–621.
  • “Comments on Athens Council of First Instance Court Judges 195/2025 – presumption of innocence and the principle of impartiality in relation to the organisation of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office”, Poiniki Dikaiosyni, 2025, pp. 255–257.
  • “The balancing act in the case law of the ECtHR in the interpretation of Article 6 ECHR (right of access to a court): challenges for the national judge in the light of Greek Supreme Court judgment 1252/2024”, Poiniki Dikaiosyni, 2024, pp. 1156–1160.
  • “Comments on Athens Court of Appeal Council decision 787/2024 – powers of the European Delegated Prosecutor and the role of the investigating judge”, Poiniki Dikaiosyni, 2024, pp. 990–991.
  • “Financial crime”, in Caeiro/Gless/Mitsilegas, Elgar Encyclopedia of Crime and Criminal Justice, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024.
  • “The protection of the environment by means of criminal law in the national legal order in the light of the Commission’s proposal for a Directive”, in Energy and Environmental Law, Proceedings of the 12th e-Themis Conference, Nomiki Bibliothiki, 2024.
  • “Grounds extinguishing criminal liability – limitation by time”, in A. Charalambakis (ed.), The New Greek Criminal Code: Article-by-Article Commentary on Law 4619/2019, Vol. I, 2nd ed., Nomiki Bibliothiki, 2024, pp. 1147–1167 and 1241–1243.
  • “Decision BVerfG 1 BvR 1541/20 of the German Federal Constitutional Court on the prohibition of discrimination and the role of criminal law”, in Official Speeches – Academic Years 2020–2022, Part II, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 2023.
  • “PIF offences – who investigates and prosecutes? The scope of competences of EPPO”, 2022.
  • “Reopening of proceedings following a judgment of the ECtHR – a first approach to Article 525(6) of the new Greek Code of Criminal Procedure”, in Essays in Honour of Kostas G. Mavrias, P.N. Sakkoulas, 2022.
  • “Interception of telephone communications under the new Code of Criminal Procedure – the relationship between Articles 254–255 CCP and Law 2225/1994”, Poinika Chronika, 2022, p. 91 ff.
  • “Comment on Greek Supreme Court Judicial Council decision 45/2021”, Poinika Chronika, 2021, p. 687 ff.
  • “EU Criminal Law in the Post-Lisbon Era – Challenges for National Policy”, in Papacharalambous Charis (ed.), The Aims of Punishment Theoretical, International and Law Comparative Approaches, Nomos, 2020, pp. 113–120.
  • “The defendant’s right to examine the witnesses against him – the recent case law of the ECtHR and article 363 of the CCP”, in the Honorary Volume I. Giannidis, Criminal law in crisis and under crisis, P.N. Sakkoulas, 2020, pp. 585–603.
  • “The principle of proportionality and the EAW”, in European Criminal Procedure: trends and challenges, Nomiki Bibliothiki, 2020, pp. 218–223.
  • “The crime of rape under the new Greek Criminal Code”, Nova Criminalia, 8/2020, pp. 4–5.
  • “The impact of Articles 3 and 6 ECHR on the application of the European Convention on Extradition: the Greek Supreme Court decision refusing extradition”, Public Law Journal, 3/2018, pp. 247–253.
  • “Das Konfrontationsrecht des Beschuldigten in der jüngsten Rechtsprechung des EGMR nach dem Urteil Schatschaschwili gegen Deutschland”, ZIS – Zeitschrift für Internationale Strafrechtsdogmatik, 10/2017, pp. 629–637.
  • “Criminal liability of Ministers under the Greek Constitution of 1864”, The Art of Crime, November 2016.
  • “Criminal liability of court bailiffs in the performance of their duties”, Isigoria, Issue 49, 2016, p. 8.
  • “Admissibility and confidentiality of communications – the example of incidentally obtained evidence”, in Papacharalambous Charis (ed.), Exclusionary rule in criminal procedure, Sakkoulas, 2015, pp. 111–125.
  • “Comment on Greek Supreme Court judgment 8/2013”, Nomiko Vima, 2013, pp. 1016–1017.
  • “Prognostic decisions in criminal procedural law, the example of pretrial detention due to the risk of new offences”, Poinika Chronika, 2013, p. 14 et seq.
  • “Les spécificités du droit pénal militaire”, contribution published in the Festschrift in honour of Ch. Dedes.
  • “Grounds extinguishing criminal liability – limitation by time”, in A. Charalambakis (ed.), Greek Criminal Code: Article-by-Article Commentary (Articles 1–206), 1st ed., Nomiki Bibliothiki, Athens, 2011, pp. 889–913.
  • “Joint investigation teams: challenges and prospects”, Hellenic Institute of International and Foreign Law.
  • “Abuse of authority in the form of exempting the offender from punishment”, Poiniki Dikaiosyni, 2010, pp. 476–483.
  • “Reflections on active and passive bribery in the private sector (Article 5 of Law 3560/2007)”, in Essays in Honour of Argyrios Karras, 2010; pre-published in Poinika Chronika, 2009, p. 967.
  • “Professional secrecy of defence counsel and interception of telephone communications”, in Criminal Sciences: Theory and Practice – Essays in Honour of Anna Psarouda-Benaki, Athens–Komotini, 2008, pp. 821–839.
  • “Fraud against the financial interests of the European Communities – Articles 4–6 of Law 2803/2000” and “Money laundering – Law 2331/1995”, in N. Kourakis (ed.) / D. Ziouvas, Economic Crimes II, Athens–Komotini, 2007, pp. 95–113 and 275–295 respectively.
  • “Felonies under Law 2331/1995: sole option for the legislator?”, in Hellenic Criminal Bar Association, Money Laundering: A ‘Clean’ or a Free Society?, Athens–Komotini, 2007, pp. 433–444.
  • “Historical origins of the right to a fair trial and the right to be heard before a court”, in L. Kotsalis / D. Kioupis (eds.), History of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Institutions, Athens–Komotini, 2006, pp. 473–488.
  • “When does property derive from criminal activity? A contribution to defining the scope of property as object of money laundering”, Poinika Chronika, 2006, pp. 361–366.
  • Contribution to the 3rd Conference of the Hellenic Criminal Bar Association, published in The European Convention on Human Rights – Fifty Years of Application, Athens, 2004, pp. 195–196.
  • “Undercover police operations: constitutional and procedural problems of a ‘legitimised’ investigative measure”, Poinikos Logos, 2003, pp. 473–481.
  • Contribution to the 2nd International Conference of the Hellenic Criminal Bar Association, published in Criminal Law in the New International Environment, Athens, 2001, pp. 291–292.
  • Comments on Greek Supreme Court (Plenary) judgments 284/2001 and 10/2001, Poinika Chronika, 2001, pp. 696–700.
  • Contribution to the 7th Panhellenic Conference of the Hellenic Society of Criminal Law, published in Organised Crime from the Perspective of Criminal Law, Athens, 2000, pp. 223–224.
  • “Confiscation of the proceeds of crime: observations and de lege ferenda proposals on the provisions of Law 2331/1995”, Yperaspisi, 2000, pp. 793–805.
  • “Money laundering and receiving the proceeds of crime – a contribution to the question of the legally protected interest under Article 2(1) of Law 2331/1995”, Poinika Chronika, 1999, pp. 988–991.
  • Contribution to the 1st International Conference of the Hellenic Criminal Bar Association, published in The Institutional Role of Defence Counsel in Criminal Proceedings, Athens, 1998, pp. 131–132.

 

ANCILLARY ACTIVITIES

Since 2006, Athanasia Dionysopoulou has been serving as a Scientific Associate to the Scientific Council of the Hellenic Parliament.

She has participated in the Greek working groups in the context of the 9th, 10th and 11th Rounds of Mutual Evaluations of EU Member States in the field of judicial cooperation in criminal matters. The Evaluation Rounds concerned mutual recognition instruments involving deprivation or restriction of liberty in the fight against organised crime, the European Investigation Order, and cross-border illicit drug trafficking in the EU and the operational and legal challenges for judicial and law-enforcement authorities.

In 2024, she participated in the European project “Reducing the Excessive Usage of Pre-Trial Detention via Harmonisation and Support to Alternatives” (RELEASE).

She has participated as a legal expert in IPA Twinning projects. From 2016 to 2017, she served as Project Leader, coordinating a team of 41 experts, in the IPA Twinning project “Further Strengthening the Assembly of Albania in the Context of EU Accession”. From 2015 to 2017, she participated as an expert in the IPA Twinning project “Strengthening Capacities of the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutorial Council” in Serbia. She had previously participated as an expert in the IPA Twinning project “Strengthening Capacities of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in the EU Integration Process” (2013–2014).

In October 2016, she participated as a special expert in the National Risk Assessment (NRA) on money laundering. In June 2016, she was a speaker at a European Commission expert workshop on bribery in the private sector in Prague. In the same year, she was a member of an External Evaluation Team for law and postgraduate study programmes in Cyprus.

In 2006, she coordinated the working group on economic crime at the conference “Combating Cross-Border Organised Crime in Southeast Europe”, held in Thessaloniki on 1–2 February 2006.

She has taught Criminal Law at the National School of the Judiciary and regularly participates as a speaker in training seminars for judges and public prosecutors.

She has participated as a speaker in numerous conferences in Greece and abroad, with a particular focus on European criminal law.

She is a member of the Advisory Board of the journal Poinika Chronika and was a member of the Advisory Board of Nomiko Vima, published by the Athens Bar Association. She also participated in the Central Advisory Scientific Council for Penitentiary Institutions at the Ministry of Justice and has represented Greece at various European meetings.