Demetrios Hadjihambis (pictured on the right in photo)  was sworn in as the new president of the 13-member Supreme Court, replacing the outgoing Petros Artemi. During the ceremony at the Presidential Palace, district court judge Antonis Liatsos was also appointed the latest member of the highest court in the land. “Cyprus is going through difficult times and society has many demands of all state institutions, particularly of an independent judiciary,” said Anastasiades.

The president highlighted that the government was going ahead with reforms pledged during his election campaign that would speed up the judicial system. Specifically, a bill has been prepared for the creation of an Administrative Court, to relieve the Supreme Court of having to deal with the many administrative disagreements within the public service currently clogging the Court’s schedule. Anastasiades also referred to the priority given to innovative reforms like ‘e-justice’, which would enable cases to be filed and followed online, thus cutting down on bureaucracy and freeing staff to do other work. A bill on e-justice is being prepared to be table before cabinet, said the president.

In reply, Hadjihambis assured he would carry out his duties with strict adherence to the Constitution, pointing out that the independence of the judiciary must be observed. At the same time, he noted the importance of cooperation between the executive, legislature and judiciary. Hadjihambis welcomed the president’s initiative to create an Administrative Court, describing it as “the most important reform of the courts since the establishment of the Republic”. Regarding the privileges afforded judges, the new Supreme Court head said: “I do not intend to make personal use of the privilege of a state car granted to the Supreme Court President.”

Liatsos also thanked the president for the trust shown in him. He described his appointment as an honour not only for him and his family but also the Maronite religious group to which he belongs. Hadjihambis was born in 1946 in Famagusta. He graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Law from the University of Exeter, after which he was awarded a PhD from Cambridge University for his thesis on ‘Liability for Torts in Anglo-American Choice of Law’. He practiced law in Cyprus and also worked as Lecturer-in-Law at the University of Exeter from 1974 until 1979. In 1982, he was appointed a district court judge, promoted to senior district judge in 1992 and to president of the district court in 1995. In 1999 he was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Cyprus.

Source: Cyprus Mail