EU Justice Scoreboard 2024: Cypriot Justice Remains at the Bottom of Europe
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Despite Cyprus’ legislative efforts to enhance its judicial system, Cyprus remains behind other EU countries in the number and scope of adopted measures, leading to the lowest overall performance within the European Union.
Introduction
On the 11th of June the European Commission published the twelfth edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard. The 2024 Scoreboard highlights the ongoing efforts of many European Union (EU) Member States to improve their justice systems. In 2023, Cyprus undertook several legislative and regulatory measures, including updates to procedural law, judicial map redesign, and ICT enhancements in the justice system. Despite these efforts, Cyprus still lags behind other EU countries in the number and scope of adopted measures, resulting in the lowest overall performance in the EU.
Key Findings
Cyprus still has the longest average case resolution time in Europe, with first-instance cases taking around 800 days and second-instance cases approximately 1700 days. The number of pending cases remains high, showing only a slight decrease from 2021. The general government expenditure on law courts in Cyprus is the lowest in Europe, both in terms of EUR per inhabitant and as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Cyprus' use of digital technology in courts remains among the lowest in Europe. The shortage of judges exacerbates the inefficiency, with Cyprus having one of the lowest numbers of judges but the second-highest number of lawyers in Europe. The promotion and incentivisation of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods, especially in civil and commercial disputes, remain insufficient. Cyprus faces significant public and corporate concerns regarding political and economic interference in the judiciary.
Next Steps
Effective reforms require a cultural and mindset shift among legal professionals to embrace and uphold new approaches and practices. Persistent challenges in data collection and reporting indicate a need for better transparency and investment in accurate judicial statistics. These statistics are crucial for informing the EU Justice Scoreboard, which underpins the European Commission's non-binding, country-specific recommendations in the area of justice during the European Semester. Addressing these challenges requires a committed and accelerated effort from both national authorities and the legal community. Increased investment in judicial infrastructure and adoption of digital technologies are essential to enhance the efficiency, quality, and independence of the Cypriot judiciary.
Read the full article here, prepared by our Partner and President of the Committee on Civil Procedure Rules and Reform Nicolas Kyriakides.
By Nicolas Kyriakides
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