The legal profession, as well as the institution of the Bar Association, is among the pillars of civic life in Cyprus, Attorney-General Giorgos Savvides said on Monday.

He was addressing an event hosted by the Bar Association on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of its establishment, in the presence of President Nikos Christodoulides, government ministers and other dignitaries.

The AG went through some of the milestones in the association’s history – such as the creation of a pension fund, cooperation with equivalent lawyers’ associations overseas, and the ability of foreign lawyers from EU countries to register in Cyprus.

“Today, the Bar Association numbers more than 4,000 members across Cyprus, including seasoned jurists with decades of service, but also younger lawyers with drive, new ideas and dynamism,” Savvides said.

The AG also extolled the “close and substantive relationship” between the attorney-general’s office and the Bar Association.

He cited as an example the participation of state attorneys in “thematic commissions” of the association, where they discuss developments across various sectors of the law.

This allows for the “osmosis of ideas” and a beneficial interaction between private-sector lawyers and state attorneys.

In addition, the academy of the attorney-general’s office and the Bar Association have jointly organised seminars and workshops discussing matters such as the code of civil procedure and the Law of the Sea.

In Cyprus, the attorney-general chairs the Legal Council, but does not chair the Bar Association.

As chair of the Legal Council, he/she presides over the council’s board, which includes the president, vice-president, and secretary of the Bar Association.