The Plenary Session of Parliament unanimously approved amending regulations on the recruitment procedures for police officers and special constables that will have retroactive effect from 13 December 2019 in order to address weaknesses identified, in the light of a annulment decision of the Administrative Court.
The new regulations regulate the appointment procedure in relation to the conduct of psychometric tests.
As stated in the report of the Parliamentary Committee of Legal Affairs to the Plenary of the Parliament in the context of the discussion of the regulations, the Chief of Police stated that the Administrative Court in its decision annulled the acts of appointment, dated August 3, 2020, of 75 new members to the Cyprus Police and 25 new members to the Cyprus Fire Service.
He also said that in the light of the Administrative Court's decision referred to, ongoing recruitment procedures in the police may be affected and, therefore, it was considered appropriate to submit the amending regulations to Parliament in order to avoid new annulment decisions.
Further, it informed the Commission that in the review process, which is being conducted on the basis of the above annulment judgment, the existing regulatory framework was applied, while the ongoing recruitment procedures, in which the required psychometric tests had been conducted on the basis of the existing regulations, were cancelled in order to allow for the amendment of the regulations and for psychometric tests to be conducted based on the new regulatory framework.
The representative of the Legal Service of the Republic stated that the pending review procedure to comply with the annulment decision of the Administrative Court was based on the existing legal framework, while the newly approved amendments were aimed at ensuring the legality of ongoing and future recruitment procedures.
During the discussion that preceded the vote, Legal Committee Chairman Nikos Tornaritis said that the Committee had made a great effort to keep the findings of the Administrative Court to a minimum and that it had asked the Chief of Police and the Minister of Justice to send to Parliament regulations covering appointments and promotions in the Police and Fire Brigade to avoid new excesses.
AKEL MP Andreas Pasiourtides expressed the view that the appointment process fell through because the warnings of the Parliament were not heeded. He said that 100 people who were appointed and 411 who participated in the appointment process were in the air and no one took responsibility.
DIKO MP Panicos Leonidou said the danger had been indicated but the warning was not heeded. He added that what was paramount was the rehabilitation of people who were left stranded. He said that there should finally be a comprehensive legislation that would not allow cancellation of procedures.
ELAM MP Sotiris Ioannou expressed the view that it is time for those responsible to take responsibility.
Source: CNA
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