English in new courts in Cyprus
Cypriot Justice Minister Stephie Dracos expressed on Friday her satisfaction with a constitutional amendment allowing the use of the English language by two new courts that are expected to be created to handle commercial and maritime cases.
Lawmakers in parliament on Thursday amended Article 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus to allow the use of English by the Commercial Court and the Maritime Court.
Article 3 stipulates that the official languages of the Republic are Greek and Turkish, while the procedure before the courts is conducted in Greek if the parties are Greek, in Turkish if the parties are Turkish, and in Greek and Turkish if the parties are Greek and Turkish.
The newly passed law provides for the use of the English language in proceedings conducted only before the Commercial Court and the Maritime Court.
Last Thursday’s decision by Parliament, Dracos said in a written statement, paves the way for the voting of the bill for the establishment and operation of the Commercial Court and the Maritime Court, which will be on the agenda of the Plenary session next Thursday.
