The Supreme Court of Cyprus announced today that it has approved the adoption of new civil procedure rules that will be applicable in civil litigation in Cyprus. The date of entry into force of the new Civil Procedure Rules will be announced at a later stage.
The drafting of the new Civil Procedure Rules is part of the ongoing judicial reform which aims to modernise and optimise the performance of the Cyprus civil justice system. The reform comprises four pillars, namely the new Civil Procedure Rules, the overall operation of courts, the training of judges and electronic justice. The new Civil Procedure Rules are one of the most important steps of this reform and have been completed in the course of a joint project co-ordinated by the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the Supreme Court of Cyprus.
The new Civil Procedure Rules were drafted by reference to best international practice and following recommendations and guidelines put forward by a group of experts, chaired by Rt. Hon. Lord Dyson. It is expected that prior to the entry into force of the new Civil Procedure Rules, judges, lawyers and other stakeholders will receive comprehensive guidance on the rationale of the general framework and the major changes that are introduced. A fundamental ingredient of the new rules is the introduction of the overriding objective, which is to enable the courts to handle cases fairly, at a proportionate cost, faster and more efficiently than is possible under the existing rules.