Newsroom
The Cypriot government is pressing forward with major reforms to the Legal and Audit Services despite mounting disputes from legal authorities, professional associations and state officials.
According to an article by Kathimerini's Apostolos Tomaras, Attorney General Giorgos Savvides has warned that separating the Legal Service could unsettle the core of the 1960 Constitution, saying concerns over his office’s powers can be addressed without creating a new Office of Public Prosecutor. A panel of experts split over the issue, with opinions ranging from full support to outright rejection on constitutional grounds.
The debate has spilled into the Cyprus Bar Association, where internal divisions led to the resignation of a key committee chair after President Michalis Vorkas publicly opposed the reform. Some lawyers argue the changes risk becoming “reform for reform’s sake.”
Tensions also deepened this week when Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides accused the government of attempting to “rein in” his office through the creation of a new Audit Council, likening it to a “Big Brother” body. While the proposal does not appear to breach constitutional provisions, the Audit Office leadership argues the model is unprecedented and potentially harmful.
Separately, plans to transfer part of the Forest Department to the Ministry of Interior as part of a new Civil Protection Mechanism have drawn objections from department staff, farmers’ groups and opposition parties, who say the shift weakens firefighting capacity and fragments the service.
Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis has opened fresh talks with political parties, seeking support for what the government views as key reforms to modernize the state. Officials say the Legal Service split is likely to gain backing, but acknowledge the Audit Office proposal may prove more difficult. With parliamentary elections approaching, the reforms are set to dominate the political agenda in the coming months.
