Paphos lawyers call indefinite strike (updated)

Some members of the Paphos Bar Association went on indefinite strike on Monday, protesting new security measures at Paphos District Court.

In a letter sent to Justice Minister Stefi Drakou, the Paphos Bar Association called for an end to checking of lawyers entering the court.

The lawyers have called the measure, which has been in effect for one-and-a-half months, “unnecessary and pointless”, claiming that though it was put in place for security reasons there has never been an issue of security in the courts area.

President of the Paphos Bar Association Savvas Zanoupas said that no lawyer over the years had posed a danger to security at the courts, on the contrary, he added, they have always been co-operative and helpful.

Showing their lawyer’s ID should be sufficient to allow entry, Zanoupas said.

It is understandable that more thorough checks need to be made when it comes to citizens with criminal or other serious cases, but lawyers have never posed a security risk, Zanoupas reiterated.

The peculiarity of the Paphos District Court is that it is housed in two separate buildings approximately 40 meters apart, one of which is for criminal cases and the family court, while the second building is where civil cases are heard.

A lawyer, who has both civil and criminal cases, would have to undergo from two to several checks daily.

The lawyers’ lockers and other areas where personal belongings are kept, are located in the building for criminal cases and so a lawyer might be checked “ten to 15 times a day,” Zanoupas claimed.

He said the operation of the courts is affected by the strike, saying that the administrative president had been informed of the intent to strike since last Monday.

Paphos Bar Association vice president Alexandros Alexandrou gave his support saying, “We are here today in reaction to actions that affect our core rights. We are here because in order to practice our profession we have to submit to [body] checks and this is unacceptable.”

“The body of lawyers of Paphos does not accept the exercise of control and daily humiliation during the execution of its work,” the Bar Association said in its letter, calling on its members to go on strike as of Monday, and saying its 400 members will consider taking further actions in case the humiliating measure continues.