Michalis Vorkas: Stagnation in justice reforms

The president of the Pancyprian Bar Association, Michalis Vorkas, noted a stagnation in the reforms that began two years ago in the judiciary, resulting in delays in developments. In an interview, he referred to the Audit Office's report on the Judicial Service and pointed to the Supreme Court for the existing pathologies.

Mr. Vorkas emphasized that a year and a half has passed since the timeline for the Independent Court Service and spoke of a lack of public confidence in justice due to delays, which led to a sharp decrease in case registrations. He also noted a lack of coordination for the new Nicosia Court.

According to Mr. Vorkas, the establishment of the Independent Court Service was the main goal of the project that started in February 2021 and was completed in early 2023, with co-financing from the European Commission and the Council of Europe. The relevant bill should have been submitted and adopted by January 2024.

Mr. Vorkas referred to modernization proposals that remain pending, such as accelerating primary jurisdiction, introducing remote hearings, technological upgrades, and staffing the Commercial Court and the Admiralty Court.

Additionally, he noted that after the reform at the highest judicial level and the implementation of the new Civil Procedure Rules, there is a delay in the implementation of further changes. He also referred to the unsuccessful attempt to transition from ijustice to ejustice in January 2024.

Finally, Mr. Vorkas pointed out the decrease in case registrations, from 30,000-40,000 annually to just 5,000 island-wide, which demonstrates the lack of public confidence in the effectiveness of the justice system.