Cyprus Mail 30 April 2020 - by George Psyllides
The supreme court decided Thursday to reopen court registrars from May 4 to let people submit lawsuits, criminal cases, applications and get sworn statements.
Courts had been in an effective lockdown for the past month as authorities tried to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
With the government decision to ease restrictions starting next week, the supreme court reviewed its own policy and decided to resume operations under strict conditions.
In a statement, the supreme court the chief registrar should make arrangements to implement the decisions in line with health decrees and taking into account the particularities of the buildings.
Courts should also plan their cases accordingly.
To avoid unnecessary congestion in courtrooms during first appearances, instructions should be issued for new dates to be set and the parties should be notified by the registrars.
The heads of the courts will take the necessary measures and issue the proper instructions.
The measures will be under constant review and depend on developments and the instructions of the health authorities.
The supreme court has already said that summer holidays will only be limited to August in bid to catch up with the delays caused by the coronavirus.
The guideline for the reopening of the courts recommends teleconferencing and work from home as much as possible, alternating administrative staff shifts to keep staff numbers down inside the courtrooms.
Strict social distancing will be observed by everyone inside the court with parties remaining between one and two metres apart.
The number of people entering a room will be controlled, initially only those necessary for a hearing to start.
The supreme court had put strict measures in place since mid-March as part of the overall effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Despite certain exceptions, the courts had essentially suspended their operation, which also has a knock-on effect on law firms.
