The president of the Supreme Court warned MPs on Wednesday that the judiciary was in need of an overhaul or face collapse because of the delays in dispensing justice, especially in civil cases.
“What concerns us, which is also a big disadvantage in the dispensation of justice in Cyprus are the delays,” Myron Nicolatos told the House finance committee during discussion of the judiciary’s budget.
The island’s top judge said civil cases took five years to be tried and another five if there was an appeal before the Supreme Court.
As regards speed, the Cypriot justice system was at a level that no one could be proud of, he said.
“We will either carry out the changes and restructuring that needs to be done or our system, in terms of speed, will collapse,” Nicolatos said. “If we exceed 10 years in adjudication, then we cannot say we have an effective justice system.”
Nicolatos asked the state and parliament to help in overhauling the courts – automating the system, reviewing and modernising the rules of civil proceedings, increase the number of judges, have adequate staff, set up a training academy for judges, and building new infrastructure.
The problems have been recorded in a report that has already been presented to the president and the House legal affairs committee.
“You will see that all the problems are listed in detail … and which must be resolved if we desire an effective system of dispensing justice and if we aspire to be a hub of providing high quality services,” he said.
For example, he said, the civil proceedings rules dated back to the island’s colonial days, as was the court registrar system, which still used books.
Also, hearings are still recorded manually, with trials often interrupted because stenographers get tired.
“It is like using a bicycle in an era where the car is used, or the aeroplane, or satellite.”
Nicolatos said Cyprus’ court efficiency was just below the EU average but it ranked in bottom place when it came to spending on the judiciary. The island was second from last in the number of judges in proportion to the population.
“If we had the personnel we want to have, the judges that is, the staff, automation, electronic justice, modern institutions, etc, I am certain that the efficiency of the courts would be much higher.”
