Is there Justice in Cyprus?
By Margaret Sheard
A little while ago I got into conversation via the internet with Gavin Jones regarding an article he had previously published
in the Cyprus Mail “The Man versus the State” and this resulted in me obtaining the book he had written – A Mental State – which was a real eye-opener of the frustration and trauma he and his wife experienced while trying to deal with his elderly mother’s problems with dementia and the lack of assistance or understanding from the health authorities and the judiciary system in Cyprus.
It seems there is still no end to the saga and Gavin has published another article in the Cyprus Mail, as follows:-
What price justice in Cyprus?
Readers of these columns may well remember a 1,700 word article published in the Cyprus Mail that I wrote earlier this year entitled ‘The Man versus The State’. It catalogued the trials and tribulations my wife and I endured at the hands of the Cypriot judiciary and the crude methods employed to spin out the court procedure over a number of years with the appointment of four judges one after the other, numerous adjournments and other such wheezes.
The case resulted in the state agreeing to pay us derisory damages and a portion of the legal fees that we incurred over the six year period that this saga had spanned. It’s now approaching six months since the end of the case and no monies have been forthcoming, with us having to employ the services of our lawyers to obtain restitution.
The state has now ring-fenced itself whereby aggrieved individuals are no longer allowed by law to sequestrate the cars of ministers and other public servants and other assets. It would appear that the state can continue to string this process out ad infinitum. What price justice in Cyprus? It’s patently obvious that in Cyprus, there isn’t.
Gavin Jones, Paphos
To read the cyprusscene article and Gavin’s previously published article click here
This case from Gavin Jones all took place in South Cyprus and not having had any occasion to use the judiciary system in the North, I cannot make a personal comment, although I have heard of the experiences of some people who have had to resort to court cases in the North and it would seem there is a lot to be desired in the way matters are dealt with in the North as well.
So, is there justice in Cyprus?
Justice in Cyprus, No, Not in My lifetime anyway. I too have been following Mr Jones’ treatment at the hands of the ridiculous judicial system and if it was not so tragic and unfair it would make a good plot for a Brian Rix Farce.
Thank you for your comment. I have passed this on to Gavin.
Gavin, like Socrates in Agora, is seeking justice…for his mother and his family…but in vain, it seems. I vain, I say….because he seeking Justice in a land where it does not exist. It died in 1963/4..when lawlessness became institutionalized. In 1966, while in Canada as a TC Commonwealth Scholar, I was dismissed from Cyprus Public Service [ without my knowledge]…my salary, like all TC civil servants, was stopped in Dec63. In 1967 when I visited the island…there were roadblocks and GC special “police” everywhere….conducting body searches, arresting and detaining any TC they wanted…in our case, at the Nicosia airport, these hoodlums blackmailed me to the tune of 2500 pounds [ a huge sum then] to let us exit…how is that any different than mafia extortion? Some things, it seems, never change. Good luck Gavin.
Thank you for your comment and sad to hear of your experiences in the past. Has anything changed? I have passed your comment on to Gavin.
There does not appear to be any justice system in Cyprus. The only levelling factor is that it is the same for everyone Foreign or Cypriot no difference.
Yes indeed, the whole system – North and South needs a good shake-up. Why doesn’t someone take note of the UK justice system, at least it would be a step in the right direction. I have passed your comment to Gavin.
My heart goes to Gavin and his wife this is beyond cruelty by South Cyprus government.
I agree, they have had a terrible time with still no end to it in sight. I have passed your comment on to Gavin.