The Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs, Justice and Public Order met today, Wednesday, 9 February 2022, and discussed the following matters:
1. a. The Commercial Court and Admiralty Court Act of 2019.
(File No. 23.01.060.108-2019)
b. The Courts (Amendment) Act, 2019.
(No. Fak. 23.01.060.060.109-2019)
The Committee continued discussion of the above bills, the purpose of which is, the first, to establish a Commercial Court and a Maritime Court to hear commercial disputes and maritime cases, respectively, and, the second, to amend the Courts of Justice Act to make the provisions relating to the powers of the High Court and the District Courts consistent with the proposed provisions of the first bill.
The Minister of Justice and Public Order informed the Commission that revised texts of the bills would be submitted and would be considered by the Commission at its next meeting.
2. The Third Amendment to the Constitution Act, 2022
(File No. 23.01.063.023-2022)
The Committee continued its discussion of the above bill, the purpose of which is to amend the Constitution to provide for the use of the English language before a court of a particular jurisdiction where the interests of justice are served.
The Minister of Justice and Public Order informed the Commission that a revised text of the Bill will be submitted and will be considered by the Commission at its next meeting.
3. The Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering (Amendment) (No. 4) Act, 2021
(File No. 23.01.062.228-2021)
The Commission commenced an article-by-article discussion of the above Bill, the purpose of which is to amend the principal Act:
a. For effective implementation:
i. certain provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/1805 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 on the mutual recognition of freezing and confiscation orders;
ii. certain provisions of Part Three, Title XI of the Agreement on Trade and Cooperation between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part, concerning freezing and confiscation;
iii. Articles 7(2)(c) and 19 of the Council of Europe Convention on the Suppression, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and the Financing of Terrorism, which has been ratified by a ratification act;
b. to harmonize with the act of the European Union entitled "Directive (EU) 2019/1153 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 laying down rules to facilitate the use of financial and other information for the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of certain criminal offences and repealing Council Decision 2000/642/JHA";
c. to amend existing articles of the basic law for their practical implementation.
The Commission, having concluded the debate on the article, reserved its position on the provisions of the bill at its next meeting.
4. The Criminal Code (Amendment) (No. 3) Act, 2021.
(No. Fak. 23.01.062.099-2021)
The Committee continued its discussion of the above Bill, the purpose of which is to amend the principal Act by adding a new section, 99C, which introduces therein, partially reformulated, the offences under section 149 (6) of the Electronic Communications and Postal Services Regulation Act 2004, which are not included in the Bill to enact a new Electronic Communications and Postal Services Regulation Act, proposed by the GERET to replace the current one, which concerns the sending of messages and telephone calls, via a public communications network, of an offensive, obscene, indecent, obscene and/or threatening character and/or with false content, in order to cause annoyance, harassment and/or unnecessary concern to another person, without prejudice to the general right to freedom of expression.
In the context of the discussion, which will be continued at a subsequent meeting, the Commission asked the Legal Service of the Republic to provide further information.
5. a. The Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution Act, 2015
(Fak. No. 23.01.056.146-2015)
b. The Parent and Child Relations (Amendment) Act, 2018.
(No. Fak. 23.01.059.036-2018)
c. The Attempted Conciliation and Spiritual Dissolution of Marriage (Amendment) Act, 2018.
(No. Fak. 23.01.059.037-2018)
d. i. The Marriage (Amendment) Act, 2018.
(Fak. No. 23.01.059.038-2018)
ii. The Marriage (Amendment) Act, 2009.
(Bill proposed by the Hon. Nicolas Papadopoulos, Christiana Erotokritou and Panikos Leonidou on behalf of the DIKO parliamentary group)
(File No. 23.02.050.011-2009)
iii. The Marriage (Amendment) Law of 2015.
(Proposal for a law by MP Mr Aristos Damianou on behalf of the parliamentary group AKEL-Left-New Powers)
(File No. 23.02.056.099-2015)
e. The Wills and Succession (Amendment) Law of 2018.
(File No. 23.01.059.039-2018)
f. The Family Courts (Amendment) Act, 2018.
(No. Fak. 23.01.059.040-2018)
g. The Regulation of Property Relations of Spouses (Amendment) Act, 2018.
(No. Fak. 23.01.059.041-2018)
ii. The Regulation of Matrimonial Property Relations (Amendment) Law of 1999
(Proposal for a law by MPs Nicolas Papadopoulos, Christiana Erotokritou and Panikos Leonidou on behalf of the DIKO parliamentary group)
(Law No./99)
h. i. The Children (Relationship and Legal Status) (Amendment) Law of 2018.
(File No. 23.01.059.042-2018)
ii. The Children (Relationship and Legal Status) (Amendment) Law of 2007. Aristos Damianou and Giorgos Loukaidis on behalf of the parliamentary group AKEL-Left-New Powers)
(File No. 23.02.048.019-2007)
The Committee continued the debate on the above bills, the purpose of which is to reform and modernise the provisions governing family law. The Ministry of Justice and Public Order informed the Committee that it would submit revised texts of the bills after consultation with stakeholders.
(/IK)
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