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Cyprus' list of candidates for the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) was rejected because one of the three nominees didn’t meet the requirements during the interview stage, according to lawyer Achilles Emilianides. He explained that since the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) needs all three candidates for the voting process, the entire list had to be sent back when one was deemed unfit.
This is the first time such an issue has happened for Cyprus. After the three candidates were chosen by the Cyprus Consultative Committee and approved by the President, the Council of Europe’s Legal Committee reviewed them and found all three qualified. However, during later interviews, one nominee didn’t perform well enough, leading to the recommendation to reject the whole list.
The two other candidates, both experienced judges with strong backgrounds, were otherwise seen as positive choices, while the third candidate was an academic specializing in human rights. Emilianides noted that in the past, Cyprus has had individual candidates reconsidered, but it’s unusual for the whole list to be rejected. Now, Cyprus will need to submit a new list after receiving formal notification from the Council of Europe.
[With info from CNA]
