New guidebook promotes ‘legal knowledge in Cyprus’

Elias Neocleous & Co LLC praised for contribution

By Jonathan Shkurko

Law firm Elias Neocleous & Co. LLC has written a new legal handbook which includes the most important and relevant pieces of legislation in all sectors of Cypriot law with jurisprudence by article.

The handbook, Ex Tempore, was presented on Wednesday at the Parklane Hotel in Limassol and aims to contribute to the development of legal writing on the island, as well as to the knowledge of the applicable law.

The main speaker during the presentation was Ioannis Delikostopoulos, lawyer at the Supreme Court of Greece and associate professor of the Law School of the University of Athens.

During his speech, Delikostopoulos praised the law firm for having devoted time in legal knowledge divulgation.

“There was never a great achievement that did not originate in the world of ideas,” he said. “That is why I want to praise Elias Neocleous & Co. LLC for selflessly contributing to the promotion of legal knowledge in Cyprus.”

The presentation was also attended by Justice Minister Stephie Dracou, attorney-general George Savvidis, Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela, as well as by several other former MPs, lawyers and judges.

“Ex Tempore represents an opus of great value and I am truly delighted to have been invited to its presentation,” Dracou said during her speech.

“The legal handbook is a complete work, in every aspect, given that it systematically and meticulously gathers and records articles of each separate legislation, with a central axis referring to the relevant jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of the Republic, complete with corresponding references to the relevant bibliography.”

She said that the classification of judicial decisions under the corresponding articles, as well as the corresponding bibliography to each entry, were testimony of the knowledge of the handbook’s authors.

She said Ex Tempore should be used in legal offices and courts in Cyprus “to the maximum extent possible”.

During the presentation, Christos Melides, partner at the law firm since 2000, special mention was also made of the late Andreas Neocleou, the founder of Andreas Neocleous & Co. Ltd, which was later renamed Elias Neocleous & Co. LLC.

“Ex Tempore includes the main legislations of all branches of Cypriot law with article-by-article case studies,” Melides said.

“The handbook aims to make a contribution to the development of legal writing in our country, as well as to the field of Legal Science and of the applicable law.”

“Regardless of the fact that the law firm Elias Neocleous & Co. LLC invests in technology and in the promotion of digital solutions in our society, it does not overlook the value and usefulness of legal manuals, which will always have a place in legal libraries and which will always be a key reference point for legal professionals,” said Melides, who also wished for the handbook to become an equally useful tool for law students, administrative bodies and even for the public wishing to remain updated on legislative topics and issues.