New milestone for women in the law

MONDAY marked a new milestone for women in the judicial system, the first ever woman judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court in Cyprus said yesterday.

Efi Papadopoulou was previously president of the Nicosia District Court and was moved up the scale by President Tassos Papadopoulos when she was appointed Supreme Court Judge this week alongside Michalis Fotiou, until now president of the Larnaca District Court.

The two new judges were sworn in by President Tassos Papadopoulos on Monday.
“The Supreme Court judge’s job is not a simple one, but is a sacred profession that carries a heavy responsibility. It is a position that represents human rights, fairness and above all justice,” the president said during the ceremony, adding the Supreme Court had a duty to respect the country and its citizens.

Papadopoulou yesterday told the Cyprus Mail she felt her new position was good news for women in the profession of law.

“Today women have a representative in the Supreme Court and my appointment has paved the way to a brighter future for women in Cyprus in the field of law,” said Papadopoulou.

She said she had worked hard and gone through all the necessary procedures to achieve her position.

“You can only become a Supreme Court Judge if you have been a president of a District Court. I was the president of the Nicosia District Court and was appointed by President Papadopoulos,” said Papadopoulou.

She added that until 1986, there had been no female judges in Cyprus. “I was made a judge in 1986 and since then I have climbed the scale to arrive where I am today,” she said.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.