16/04/2019 10:15
Attorney General Costas Clerides outlined on Monday during a meeting at the Presidential Palace chaired by Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and political party leaders, the Legal Service’s view in favour of appealing recent ruling by the administrative court on pay cuts imposed to public servants in 2012.
Clerides said that the appeals will be examined by the full plenary of the Supreme Court and that a request for the procedure to be completed as soon as possible would be submitted.
In statements after the meeting, he explained that the appeals are justified on public interest grounds that have to do with the state’s financial situation and added that such matters should be adjudicated in a final way by the supreme judicial body of the country.
Referring among other things to the likelihood the rulings should be in effect retroactively, the Attorney General conveyed the Legal Service’s opinion that only applicants who appealed the initial decision will be entitled payment of pay-cuts retroactively.
He also explained that it is important to note when each applicant took the matter to Court because different people have appealed at different times, namely some in 2012, others in 2013 and others in 2017. Therefore, he added, return of moneys will be made based on when applicants lodged their appeal.
Government Spokesman Prodromos Prodromou also referred to the matter during his statements.
Asked whether there is a timeline of steps to be taken Prodromou said that this matter will be handled by the Legal Service and the Attorney General and he recalled that there is a timeline of 42 days for an appeal to be lodged from the day the rulings were announced.
Replying to another question, he confirmed that President Anastasiades has asked the Attorney General to lodge an appeal and that Finance Minister Harris Georgiades has been asked to go ahead with all necessary preparations taking into account all eventualities.
On March 29 this year, the Administrative Court of Cyprus, in three separate decisions about pay-cuts imposed on public servants` salaries in 2012 when the country’s economy was in the brink of collapse ruled that the legislation on which the pay-cuts were based was against the Constitution of Cyprus.