Cyprus MPs call for faster reform of the legal service
Cyprus’ parliamentary institutions committee reviewed the European Commission’s rule of law report. In the document, the European Commission again recommended that the government complete the reform of the legal service and introduce effective oversight of decisions not to initiate or to discontinue criminal prosecution.
As Cyprus Mail reports, the report also includes a new recommendation on judicial delays. The European Commission called for measures to improve the efficiency of the courts, including consideration of establishing an independent judicial service.
Draft laws and court operations
European Commission representative Panayiotis Pourgourides said that the aim of the report is to encourage the government to act rather than assign blame. At the same time, he noted that progress in reforming the legal service remains limited. According to him, the reform is a complex task but could strengthen the institution’s independence and accountability.
Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki said that implementing the European Commission’s recommendations remains a government priority. According to her, a package of draft laws on the reform was submitted to parliament last year, along with legislation on oversight of prosecutorial decisions. Amendments to address shortcomings in recently adopted legislation are being prepared for submission to the House of Representatives in the coming months.
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Chief Registrar Maria Christodoulou also linked court delays to a shortage of support staff. She noted that courts face difficulties in hiring office workers and other employees needed to hold hearings.
MPs’ positions
Vice president of the bar association Nicolas Tsardellis called the current system outdated. He said that delays had contributed to an 80–85% decline in the number of newly registered cases. MPs raised the question of whether the decrease in the number of cases indicates the system’s efficiency or whether people avoid courts because of lengthy proceedings.
Disy MP Nikoleta Constantinou called for specific and tangible targets to be set for the responsible authorities. Akel representative Constantinos Constantinou said that judicial delays affect public trust in the judiciary. Alma MP Irene Charalambides stressed the need to separate the attorney general’s powers from the judiciary.
The committee also discussed the work of the anti-corruption body, media freedom and the audit service’s access to information. Transparency Commissioner Haris Poyadjis said that by July, the body had received 911 complaints and examined about 71% of them. Six additional positions are also being created for the body, increasing its staff from 16 to 22 employees.
