He was born in Volos.
He studied Law, Economics and Political studies at the University of Athens.
He was President of Athens Bar Association. He is member of both Hellenic Constitutional Experts Union and Hellenic Criminal Bar Association, honorary member of the Non-Governmental Organization «SOS Racism» while during the time period 1991-1994, he was also President of Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims.
He was member of «Lambrakis Democratic Youth» and «Regas Pheraios » Association. He was also a founding member of Communist Party of Greece (interior) serving on its Executive Office and Central Committee.
He was a founding member of the «Greek Left » political party, and was elected its Secretary. During his term office it was decided its inclusion in the «Left and Progress Coalition» political party in which he was a member of the Executive Committee, Standing Committee as well as its Secretary.
He was elected as a Member of the Parliament with the political party of «Coalition of Left and Progress » in the parliamentary elections of 1989, 1990, 1996, 2004,2007 και 2009 while after the parliamentary elections of 2009 he was appointed as SYRIZA Parliamentary Representative.
In 2010 he founded the political party of «Democratic Left-DIMAR» and was elected its President by its first Congress.
At the end of 2015 and after his leaving from the political party of «Democratic Left-DIMAR» he founded, along with other former members of Democratic Left, the political party of « European Left Unified Movement-ΕΚΙΕΑ ».
He served as Minister of Justice in 1989 Cabinet in which the political party of «Coalition of Left and Progress» participated and Deputy Minister of National Defense in 2018 Cabinet. Since 29th August 2018 he is Minister of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy.
He is married to Fotini Palla and is a father of two daughters.
