Cyprus has cleared nearly twice its court backlog target, but the justice system remains mired in delays on a new courthouse, digitalisation and specialist courts — problems that lawyers say are driving citizens away from the courts altogether.
Justice Minister Kostas Fytris told parliament that 70% of cases pending since 2018 have now been cleared, against a Recovery and Resilience Plan commitment to cut that figure by just 40% by June 2026.
But legal professionals have raised concerns about cases filed after 2018, which fall outside the scheme entirely, and the minister acknowledged that citizens have been avoiding the courts for civil disputes, knowing cases can drag on for years.
Fytris was responding to a question from MP Charalambos Theopemptou about a 2018 European Commission report on the justice system and the progress of its recommendations.
New Civil Procedure Regulations, in force since 1 September 2023, are designed to cut delays by setting case timetables — including hearing dates — in advance.
Laws establishing a Commercial Court and an Admiralty Court were passed in May 2022, but neither court has opened its doors. Posts for Admiralty Court judges have recently been advertised.
Two bills are pending in parliament: one to extend the jurisdiction of Senior District and District judges, and another to strengthen mediation. Under the proposed mediation rules, an initial session would be mandatory for disputes worth up to €5,000. Parties who fail to attend would lose their entitlement to legal costs and interest. The ministry has separately drafted legislation to modernise arbitration, covering both domestic and international proceedings.
On the long-delayed Nicosia District Courthouse — a project expected to cost more than €100 million — Fytris gave no timeline, telling Theopemptou only that construction was “being progressed.” A delay in signing an agreement with the United Nations has held up the project, with costs rising the longer it stalls.
Court digitalisation is also in limbo. After the collapse of the e-justice system, Cyprus reverted to the i-justice project, financed through the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Supreme Court expects an upgraded version to be delivered next summer.
Judges currently run court administration themselves — a situation the source flags as a chronic failing. A dedicated study is being prepared by the Supreme Court in cooperation with the Finance Ministry, the Department of Public Administration and Personnel, and the Justice Ministry.
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