Background
Grivas was born in Kato Tithorea, Phthiotis.
judge politician Prime Minister of Greece
Grivas was born in Kato Tithorea, Phthiotis.
He studied law at the University of Athens and in 1954 he became a judge.
He took part as a judge in the Greek Junta Trials in 1975, and in 1979, he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Greece for Civil and Criminal Cases. He became vice-president of the court in 1986 and president in 1989-1990. He took office on 12 October 1989 to lead the country to new elections, held on 5 November.
After the elections produced another deadlocked Parliament, he resigned on 23 November 1989 in favour of Xenophon Zolotas, who formed a coalition government in which all three Parliament parties participated.
Grivas retired in 1990.
In 1989, when the Greek Parliament was deadlocked between the Panellinion Socialistikon Kinema (Panhellenic Socialist Movement) and New Democracy parties following the 18 June 1989 elections, the Constitution requiring that the president of one of Greece"s Supreme Courts be appointed interim Prime Minister, Grivas agreed to head a caretaker government to preside over fresh elections.