New Presidents of Supreme Courts have assumed office in Greece, Romania and Italy.

Greece

Ms Anastasia Papadopoulou assumed office as President of the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court of Greece “Areios Pagos” on 7 July 2025. 

Ms Papadopoulou entered the judicial profession on May 26, 1989, as an Associate Judge at the Thessaloniki Court of First Instance. She was promoted to the rank of First Instance Judge in 1991. In 2005, Ms Papadopoulou was promoted to the rank of Presiding Judge of the Court of First Instance and served at the Drama Court of First Instance. In 2010, she was promoted to the rank of Judge of Appeal and served at the Thessaloniki Court of Appeal. In 2020, she was promoted to the rank of Presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal.

In 2021, Ms Papadopoulou was promoted to the rank of Supreme Court Judge. She was initially assigned to the First Civil Department of the Supreme Court, and in 2022, by a unanimous decision of the Supreme Judicial Council of the Supreme Court, she was appointed Director General of the National School of Judicial Officers. In 2024, she was promoted to the rank of Vice-President of the Supreme Court and retained her position as Director General of the National School of Judicial Officers, where she served in this capacity for three years.

Romania

Ms Lia Savonea assumed office as President of the High Court of Cassation and Justice of Romania on 1 August 2025. 

Ms Savonea is a graduate of the Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1996) and holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Procedural Law from Nicolae Titulescu University of Bucharest.

President Savonea began her judicial career in 1996 at the Court of First Instance of District 6 in Bucharest. Between 2001 and 2003, she served as President of this court, before being promoted to the Bucharest Tribunal, where she led the First Criminal Chamber from 2003 to 2008. In 2008, she promoted to the Bucharest Court of Appeal, Second Criminal Chamber, where she subsequently held key leadership roles, including vice-president and acting president of the court. From 2012 to 2023, she served as President of the Bucharest Court of Appeal. Concurrently, she was a member of the Superior Council of Magistracy from 2017 to 2023, holding the position of President of the Council in 2019.

In June 2023, Ms Savonea was promoted to judge of the Criminal Chamber of the High Court of Cassation and Justice.

Italy

Mr Pasquale D’Ascola assumed office as First President of the Supreme Court of Cassation of Italy on 9 September 2025.

Mr Pasquale D’Ascola has been a member of the Italian Judiciary since 1981, first as a first-instance single judge in Verona and then as a member of the first-instance Court of the same town. From 2001 to 2007 he served at the Study & Research Office of the Court of Cassation and then became Supreme Court justice. In 2018 he was appointed President of Chamber, and in January 2020 he became President of the Second Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court. 

In October 2023 Pasquale D’Ascola was appointed Deputy President of the Court of Cassation, in charge of coordinating the civil chambers and presiding over the Civil Grand Chambers.