Bar Association says it’s pushing for judicial reform

The Cyprus Bar Association on Monday presented its work covering the past year, which focused on issues such as the urgent need for the passing of the judicial reform bills and preparing for ‘e-justice’.

The association also announced the signing of a memorandum of cooperation with the law commissioner.

President of the association Christos Clerides highlighted that the reform bills are necessary to ensure the efficiency of the judicial process.

Earlier this month, Justice Minister Stephi Dracou said that after four years of consultations they have reached the final stage and the reform is in the hands of parliament. Everyone, she said, shares the people’s distress for the fact that it can take 15 years for justice to be served, pointing out that the public’s patience has reached its limits.

For his part, Clerides added that the smooth running of the judicial process helps ensure the rule of law, while also developing and modernising the state and society.

The president of the association also noted the role it played in the implementation of i-justice, in the process of preparation for e-justice, as well as assisting in efforts to induct the new courthouse in Nicosia.

But reference was also made to the difficulty in setting up the independent court services, which was included in the European Commission’s recommendations.

He referenced a 2018 report, titled ‘Functional Review of the Courts System of Cyprus’,  which stated that: “The Review Team is of the view that the establishment of an independent statutory body, which for  ease of reference in the rest of this report we refer to as the Courts Service of Cyprus, to manage and  support  the  courts  would  represent  a  first,  but  very  important,  step  in  the  modernisation  of  the  Cypriot  courts  system.”