The 5th Annual Conference of the Procedural Law Unit at the University of Nicosia brought renewed attention to the growing pressures on judicial independence and democratic institutions, as academics, policymakers and legal experts from Europe, the United States and Cyprus gathered to assess emerging challenges in justice systems worldwide.
The Director of the Procedural Law Unit at the University of Nicosia, Dr. Nicolas Kyriakides, recently appeared on Vergina TV Cyprus, where he discussed public confidence in the Cypriot justice system and the challenges facing the courts, with host Mikis Kasapis.
On the 7th of October 2025, the Cyprus Bar Association, the Procedural Law Unit of the University of Nicosia, and Nomiki Vivliothiki hosted a gathering at the Cleopatra Hotel to present the collective volume Cypriot Civil Procedure. Coordinated by Nicolas Kyriakides, and Iphigenia Fisentzou, the event brought together leading legal minds to explore the evolution and future of civil procedure in Cyprus.
Cyprus’s role as regional bridge and rule‑of‑law priorities ahead of the 2026 EU Council Presidency
The Director of the Procedural Law Unit at the University of Nicosia, Dr. Nicolas Kyriakides, presented a paper on “Judicial Independence Under Pressure: Balancing Accountability, Efficiency, and Procedural Fairness” at the annual colloquium of the International Association of Procedural Law (IAPL) hosted by the University of Zagreb, Croatia between 11-13 of September 2025.
The Director of the Procedural Law Unit at the University of Nicosia, Dr. Nicolas Kyriakides, together with external associate Yiolanti Maou, and research associate Luis Hewitt, co-authored and presented a paper at the 20th Anniversary Conference of the Journal of Private International Law.
The Supreme Court of Cyprus has published its 2024 Annual Review, outlining what it describes as significant institutional and procedural reforms across the judiciary.
In his statement, he emphasised that there are already documented proposals to accelerate proceedings, such as the establishment of an Independent Court Service, the separation of small claims and the use of technology to expedite trials.
At this significant gathering of legal scholars, Dr Kyriakides and Ms. Manolova presented a paper on private international law, exploring the challenges posed by the governance of artificial intelligence (AI) across jurisdictions.
The first part of the Report, focusing on the Justice System, is structured around three pillars: Independence, Quality, and Efficiency.
In certain areas, and particularly in the average time for case processing, a relative improvement is observed. For the first time in years, Cyprus is not ranked last in the EU, which constitutes an encouraging sign.
Perceptions Versus Reality: Evaluating Judicial Independence in Cyprus through the 2025 ENCJ Report Judicial independence constitutes a fundamental pillar of every rule-of-law state and a critical prerequisite for safeguarding equality before the law, justice, [...]
The UNIC Procedural Law Unit Director, Dr. Nicolas Kyriakides, along with Ms Ioanna Dimitra Theodosopoulou, co-authored an academic paper on “Smart contracts vis-à-vis procedural law”.
The IMF urges Cypriot authorities to continue efforts to enhance the functioning of the judiciary, including through better administrative practices, increased use of technology, and capacity-building across the system.
Dr. Kyriakides presented the Unit’s latest research project, “Public Perception of Rapid Preliminary Adjudication in Small Claims”, which explores how the general public in England and Wales, Germany and Cyprus perceives the fairness, efficiency and trustworthiness of AI-assisted adjudication in small claims procedures.
Dr. Nicolas Kyriakides, Director of the Procedural Law Unit at the University of Nicosia, recently presented his co-authored paper “Judicial Spill-over as a Path to Coherence in European Private International Law” at the international conference “European Private International Law: Is Improvement Needed?” held in Riga, Latvia.
Dr Nicolas Kyriakides, Director of the Procedural Law Unit at the University of Nicosia, presented his latest research at the 2025 Justice Administration Research (JAR) Association conference “Judicial Systems in Transition: Reforms, Innovations and Justice”.
Dr. Kyriakides stressed the importance of regular parliamentary oversight of justice reform, describing it as a continuous and demanding process. While acknowledging significant progress in addressing the backlog of cases, he emphasised that further efforts are needed to resolve the issue effectively.
The urgent need to address delays in the administration of justice in Cyprus was highlighted at the 4th Annual Symposium of the Procedural Law Unit of the University of Nicosia, which took place on the 14th of December.
Application dated 19.9.23 for an extension of the time to file the outline of the speech for the respondent For the respondent-applicant: Ms. Katerina Andreou for Elias Neocleous & Co LLC For the [...]
Applications dated 22/2/24 and 4/3/24 for security for costs by the respondents - applicants Despina Christodoulou (Ms.), for Heraklis Kyriakides L.L.C., for the Appellant. Yolanda Zachariou (Ms.), for Andreas V. Zachariou & Co. [...]
The seminar titled Judicial Proceedings via Videoconferencing: Practices and Proposals, was organised by the Reform and Civil Procedure Rules Committee of the Cyprus Bar Association (CBA). Held on September 17, 2024, in Nicosia, the event convened a distinguished panel of legal experts to explore the evolving role of videoconferencing within the judicial system.
