One in ten over limit

Justice Minister favours lock-up after weekend of shame

THE JUSTICE Minister yesterday said he agreed to the idea of locking up drink drivers, after one in ten drivers stopped over the weekend were found to be over the limit.

“If you were to ask me where I stood on the matter, I would have to say that I am in favour of locking up people arrested for drink driving.

“But this is as long as the necessary legal principles are in place and given that the Attorney-general is our main legal adviser, he definitely has the final say,” Sophocles Sophocleous said.

Sophocleous confirmed that the Chief of Police Charalambos Koulendis had sent a letter to Petros Clerides, asking him for a change in the legislation to allow detaining drunk drivers overnight. The Justice Minister added that the House had also been made aware of this request.

Police decided to crack down on drink driving after two road deaths over the previous weekend.

The period from Saturday morning until Sunday night saw 142 people charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The worst record was evident in Paphos, with almost one in four people found to be driving over the limit.

The Attorney-general revealed last month that the government was facing a number of lawsuits from citizens detained on drink driving charges adding that the practice of keeping drunk drivers at police stations overnight was not recognised by Cypriot law, making it illegal.

Since then, the Chief of Police and the Justice Ministry have been pressuring Clerides to make an amendment to the law, claiming that the fear of staying overnight in a police cell was the only effective deterrent for drivers.
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