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It was with great pleasure that I accepted the invitation of the Cyprus Centre for Studies and I am among you today. The topic of today's discussion is, I would say, very interesting and relevant to everyone, offering the opportunity for an exchange of views, in relation to contemporary challenges in the field of justice and public order.
With my introduction today, I would like to inform you about the steps being taken, both in the area of the administration of justice and in the area of public order and security, about the Government's programme and vision, starting with the administration of justice, which is one of the most important pillars of the rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.
Both the courts and the Bar Association have an important contribution and mission in preserving and promoting justice in our country, through the maintenance of high standards of ethics, professional conduct and integrity.
At the same time, the Ministry of Justice and Public Order plays an important role through the revision of legislation and/or the introduction of new legislation concerning the reorganization of our legal system and the upgrading of the quality of justice in our country. Respecting, of course, always the principle of the separation of powers.
The view shared by all parties involved in the administration of justice is that the speed with which it is currently administered is far from satisfactory. This conclusion is shared, both by the general public here in Cyprus and by European and international organisations. Cyprus is among the lowest performing countries in the European Union in terms of the time required for the disposal of civil cases and, unfortunately, there is a significant accumulation of such cases, both at first and second instance.
These delays constitute a major obstacle to the efficient functioning of our country's judicial system, having a negative impact both on citizens involved in judicial proceedings and on key sectors such as the economy, entrepreneurship, competitiveness, foreign investment, affecting the reputation of Cyprus as an international business hub offering top quality professional services to both local businesses and foreign companies.
As a Government, we consider it our duty to preserve the prestige of justice in our country as the strong foundation of any favourable state. We consider it our duty to build a system of justice that, first and foremost, serves the public interest and works for the benefit of citizens.
We recognise our obligation as a State to create the necessary conditions in this direction, which is why we have set among our priorities the continuation and promotion of the modernisation of the structures and framework governing the operation of the justice system in our country, with the ultimate aim of ensuring the swift and effective delivery of justice.
In my speech, I will try to give an outline of the work that has already begun in the Ministry, which is included in the Governance Programme of the President of the Republic, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides.
The framework of the administration of justice includes the strengthening and promotion of alternative ways of resolving disputes, as well as the amendment of the legislation on the enforcement of court decisions. On these issues, relevant draft laws are pending before the Legal Service of the Republic for legislative and technical examination. At the same time, draft bills, also pending for legislative and technical examination, have been prepared and are expected to contribute to a faster adjudication of cases and criminal jurisdiction. As for the remaining bills to complete the reform of family law, which aim to promote the protection and welfare of the child and place more emphasis on issues affecting the child's best interests, these have been resubmitted and have already been discussed at a first meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs, Justice and Public Order.
At the same time, the implementation of the projects that have already started and are in progress continues. These projects are being implemented by the courts, with the support of the Government, and complement the effort for a holistic reform of the judiciary.
Immediate priority has been given to the work of clearing the backlog of cases in the Courts. According to information from the courts, some positive results are beginning to be seen, at least to some extent. I am optimistic that in due course the desired results will be seen in the time taken to dispose of cases.
At the same time, the digitalisation of the courts is being promoted. Unfortunately, the e-justice e-Justice system did not have the expected results after all, as it experienced technical problems during its first implementation, causing great disruption in the legal world and beyond. We are therefore continuing with the interim solution and, as I have been informed, in the meantime intensive efforts are being made to restore the smooth operation of the integrated system.
What the introduction and implementation of e-Justice will achieve is not only limited to the users of the system and the actors involved in the administration of justice, namely the Registries of Courts, Judges and lawyers. It is primarily aimed at serving the public itself, because this will gradually eliminate delays, speed up justice and modernise the whole system of administration of justice so that it is compatible with any other advanced European, and not only European, legal system. This is because, among other things, it will make it easier and faster to access documents and case files, reduce the need to keep documents in physical locations, make it possible to monitor a court case and significantly reduce the administrative workload and, at the same time, the time taken to complete all procedures.
At the same time, the Acoustic Digital Recording of Minutes of Court Sessions is being promoted, with a time horizon of 2025 for the implementation of the project.
Another very important project is the implementation of the new Civil Procedure Rules, which will come into force on 1 September 2023. The new Regulations simplify the procedures to be followed in civil cases, where the greatest delays in the time taken to hear cases are observed, and ensure, inter alia, the timely planning of the case from the outset and the fair allocation of court time. Through fast, flexible and simple procedures and strict adherence to time schedules, significant cost and time savings can be expected.
A very important pillar of justice is the creation of new courts.
On 1 July 2023, the new Supreme Constitutional Court with nine judges and the new Supreme Court with seven judges became operational, with both courts being granted additional third degree jurisdiction in specific cases. At the same time, the Court of Appeal, which is the appellate jurisdiction and operates in specialized divisions for the speedy hearing of appeals, was also operational.
The importance and significance of the operation of the new courts lies in the fact that they decongest the highest level of the judiciary and at the same time make it more flexible and functional. They achieve specialisation, introduce the necessary checks and balances, while at the same time serving the key objective of swift administration of justice, especially in the appellate landscape.
It is also expected that the Commercial Court and the Maritime Court will become operational and will take over the fast-track adjudication of high value commercial disputes (over two million euros) and all maritime cases.
The creation of these Courts, in addition to the effect of reducing the time taken to administer justice, is expected, together with the possibility of using the English language, to contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of Cyprus as a centre for the provision of quality services and to attracting foreign investment.
Equally important pillar and cornerstone, I would say better, of a modern state, a rule of law, which respects and safeguards the human rights of its citizens, is the safeguarding of public order, law and order and internal security.
Particularly at this time, when geopolitical developments in the Middle East region are creating new security challenges and, combined with the emergence of new forms and practices of committing crimes, necessitate the need for constant vigilance and increased preventive and repressive measures.
Security, my friends, is a very broad concept. It extends from the sense of protection that citizens feel in their daily lives, to the degree of law enforcement, to the ability to manage crises or other natural and man-made disasters, such as fires, for example, to the safe detention of convicts in prisons, and even extends to the protection and preservation of the State's archives.
For the Christodoulides Government and for me personally, as I have repeatedly stated from the very first day I took office, strengthening the sense of security of citizens is a non-negotiable goal and priority. The citizens of our country should not only be, but also feel safe. Challenges exist and will always exist, mistakes and failures have happened and are likely to happen again, I am not one of those who will claim that everything will be perfect. But what I can certainly assure you is that we are working methodically and seriously to take those targeted measures that will ensure public order, security and peace and at the same time restore to the greatest extent possible the shaken sense of security and the citizens' confidence in all institutions.
Crime exists and will always exist. It is a complex phenomenon fuelled by many factors, such as immigration with all its negative implications, the economic crisis, the loosening of the once strong ties between family and church, which are long-standing features of Cypriot society, excessive exposure to online transactions, the increasing involvement of our young people in addictive substances and much more. And if one also takes into account the internationalisation that some criminal groups have acquired by operating in more than one country at the same time, as well as the modernisation of their modus operandi and methods of action, one realises that dealing with them is becoming inherently difficult. It therefore requires special handling, proper organisation, long-term and painstaking efforts at national, European and international level.
With regard to the reality in Cyprus, unfortunately, in recent years there has been an increase in serious crime, culminating in the bombing and arson attacks on justice officials a few months ago. This, combined with the manner and timing in which some heinous crimes have been committed in recent times, certainly has us all concerned. To this end, the Police have proceeded immediately to take additional preventive/deterrent as well as repressive measures. Some measures have been announced, but there are also additional measures, which are constantly being evaluated and adjusted and which, for reasons of security and to ensure the operational effectiveness of the police, are not subject to public disclosure.
At the same time, we are making full use of all available legislative and technological tools and instruments that exist, and at the same time we are working to strengthen and reinforce them.
The recent passage by the House of Representatives of the legal framework governing the identification of holders and/or users of prepaid mobile phone cards is an important development and a powerful weapon in the quiver of law enforcement authorities, as is the strengthening in terms of both personnel and expertise and scholarship, through the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Economic Crime Sub-Division of the Head of Police and the FBI of America. In addition, we are moving to establish a new cadre of investigators with specialized expertise to conduct financial audits of individuals who have not given cause in the sense of committing a predicate offense, but who appear to possess assets that are not justified by the income they declare to the State.
As a Government and as a Ministry we have been faced with chronic problems such as overcrowding and preventing the use of mobile phones in Central Prisons, mob violence, youth offending. With seriousness, determination and will, we plan and launch solutions, interventions, projects and policies to address and resolve them.
I will not bore you further with individual thematic actions of my Ministry, which, I understand, I will have the opportunity, if I am requested and asked, to elaborate and explain during the open debate that will follow.
The foregoing is part of the Government's policy aimed at upgrading the efficient and effective functioning of the justice system and ensuring and strengthening public order and security. This is, after all, the expectation and the fully justified demand of every citizen.
In conclusion, for my part, I would like to assure you that I am fully committed and focused on promoting all that I have just mentioned to you and I will do whatever it takes, investing as much time as necessary, to address the major challenges that lie ahead of us, so that these changes can proceed and be implemented and the citizen can finally feel the benefits of them.
Thanks again to the President of the Cyprus Centre for Studies for inviting me. Thank you all for listening to me. I am now ready to answer any questions you may have.
(ΕΠ/ΑΦ)
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