The justice system is collapsing

 

Statement by AKEL MP Aristos Damianou after the meeting of the Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee

6 April 2022

In the Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee today, the debate on the reform of the justice system has commenced again. We have said and stated dozens of times that, unfortunately, the justice system in Cyprus is in a state of collapse. For that reason, its reform, and particularly a correct reform, is an urgent necessity.

In today’s debate we have raised a number of issues with regards provisions that have been put forth. We are pleased that the Minister, in this case too, has pledged that she will study the concerns and reservations that AKEL has raised and come back to the Committee to see how we are going to proceed.

One of the issues we have raised concerns a very important function of both the state, democracy and institutions. It is the invocation since 1964 of the law of necessity through which, as we know, both politically, legally and constitutionally and in terms of international law, the continuation of the Republic of Cyprus as a subject of international law has been recognised. And given that there are references through the arrangements that are being made that concern us, we have raised a number of issues and we are awaiting a comprehensive legal position from the Ministry of Justice.

From there onwards, I reiterate our readiness to engage in a discussion, because we believe that indeed the state at which the judiciary is at is very worrying and that immediate and swift solutions must be provided without, of course, losing sight of the substance and content of a necessary reform.