Filenews 19 June 2021 - by Michalis Hatzivasilis
The lawyers decided to operate the i-justice even though the issue of the cost of electronic transactions remains pending.
The Cyprus Bar Association, following an extraordinary meeting of its Council last Wednesday, approved the immediate operation of the i-justice on a provisional basis until the financial management of the system is finally regulated. The position of the Association was and remains that the cost of operating the whole system must be the responsibility of the Republic of Cyprus because this first and foremost serves the citizen but also the Courts and the officials of Justice equally. As the Association states, this provisional arrangement does not charge any lawyer any additional amount but is the result of an internal arrangement. The Association invites its members as they are ready to use the system in accordance with the instructions issued to date by both the P.D.S. and the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court voted in favour of approving and adopting the new proposed Civil Procedure Regulations.
According to a communication, the new Civil Procedure Regulations are one of the most important steps in the reform of justice, with the fundamental aim of making it possible for courts to handle cases fairly, at proportionate cost, more quickly and effectively than is possible under the current regulations. With the adoption of the new Regulations, a comprehensive training programme for judges, lawyers and protocols is launched, with the aim of better understanding the general context and the main changes that the new Regulations will bring about.
The President of the Supreme Court, Persephone Panagi, said that the existing Regulations, which since 1958 have undergone minimal revision, required radical reform and that the new Civil Procedure Regulations should be an important tool for protecting the rights of all concerned, which can be quickly adapted to the needs of modern society.
