[…]
I have the pleasure to submit here below, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, the names of the three candidates for the election of the Cypriot Judge to the European Court of Human Rights, for your further actions:
Ms Elena EFREM
Dr. Georgios A. SERGHIDES
Dr. Costakis PARASKEVA
The curricula vitae of the candidates in English and in French are enclosed.
[…]
[…]
Following my letter dated 25th November 2015, informing you on the list of the three candidates for the election of the Cypriot Judge to the European Court of Human Rights and enclosing their Curricula Vitae, please find enclosed, the updated Curricula Vitae of the three candidates in English and French.
[…]
As regards the national procedures followed for the selection of the three candidates, I would like to inform you that upon a Decision by the Council of Ministers of the Republic (Decision 76.854 of 3rd July 2014), the procedure for the selection of candidates has been amended taking into consideration the relevant Resolution of PACE and the Committee of Ministers’ Guidelines. The newly established body for the selection of the candidates provided by the above said Decision is composed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs as a chair, the Minister of Justice and Public Order, the President of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General, the Ombudsman, the President of the Cyprus Bar Association and two University professors.
As per the national procedure, the above mentioned candidates were selected upon evaluation of all candidatures submitted and interviews held by the competent national committee, as described above.
Name: Elena Efrem
Sex: Female
Date and place of birth: 20th February 1969, Nicosia, Cyprus
Nationality/ies: Cypriot
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Judicial office
Junior and Senior School Board of Governors – Member (February 2009 – September 2011). In my personal capacity, I have also served as a member of the Junior and Senior School Board of Governors (February 2009 – September 2011). During that time I served as the Chairperson on the Senior School Committee as well as the Teachers’ Provident Fund Committee. This invaluable experience offered me an insider’s view on the establishment and development of a school to the highest academic standards. It has also helped me develop my leading, organisational and communication skills.
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1. Field: Cyprus-based project “Strengthening national policies to stop sexual violence against children”, training for prosecutors, judges and defence lawyers on “Understanding and handling child victims of sexual violence”, organised by The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Duration: 2015 – ongoing
Functions: Representative of the Cyprus Judiciary, appointed by the Cyprus Supreme Court. Responsible to help organise a series of training seminars for various professionals in this field.
2. Field: Network to stop sexual violence against children, organised by The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Duration: May 2014
Functions: Panelist of the round table of the Network meeting.
Judgments and Decisions (more than 1.100 documents) currently on final edit to be published in 2016 in two Volumes.
Volume 1: Criminal
Volume 2: Civil
Greek – native
English – proficient (CEF equivalent C2)
French – independent user (CEF equivalent B1)
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I hereby confirm that I am a proficient user of the English language, one of the official languages of the Council of Europe, and I am an independent user in French, the other CoE official language. My intention is to follow intensive language classes to bring my French language skills to the CEF level C1 at the beginning of my term of duty if elected a judge on the Court.
I hereby confirm that I will take up permanent residence in Strasbourg if elected a judge on the Court.
Surname, forename: Dr. Paraskeva Costakis
Sex: male
Date and place of birth: 16 June 1977, Larnaca, Cyprus
Nationality/ies: Cypriot
None
European Convention on Human Rights: Costas Paraskeva as an expert on ECHR theory and practice was involved in all submissions to the Court and appeared as counsel for applicants in two Grand Chamber cases, Varnava v TurkeyNote and Demopoulos and Others v Turkey.Note With reference to the latter, he has been particularly recognized for his contributions on the pilot judgment procedure.
In his own practice he represents clients in applications at the European Court of Human Rights raising amongst others issues under Articles 6, 8, and Article 1 of Protocol No.1 to the ECHR.Note He regularly advises clients and provides legal consultation on different aspects of ECHR litigation and potential violations of human rights.
European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment: As an elected member of the European Committee of the Prevention on Torture (December 2011, re-elected July 2015), Costas Paraskeva participates in CPT delegations visiting places of detention in European member States, in order to assess how persons deprived of their liberty are treated and to ensure that inmates are not subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment. The CPT as a non-judicial preventive mechanism protects persons deprived of their liberty against torture and other forms of ill-treatment. It thus complements the judicial work of the European Court of Human Rights.
Domestic human rights law: As a practicing lawyer in the Republic of Cyprus, Costas Paraskeva appears before the Supreme Court in cases raising issues of violations of human rights as protected by Part II of the Constitution. In addition, as a great number of human rights matters fall within the supervisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court (Article 146 of the Constitution), Costas Paraskeva has expertise in administrative law and in pursuing administrative recourses before the Supreme Court.
Costas Paraskeva has taught courses on ECHR at London Metropolitan University (2007-2008) and since 2010 he has been lecturing on the ECHR system of protection of human rights in Cypriot Universities in both undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses. His areas of research are the European system of protection of human rights, the effective enforcement and implementation of human rights norms, and the right of access to justice and redress.Note With reference to the domestic legal system, his research focuses on Part II of the Constitution, “Fundamental Rights and Freedoms”, which incorporates the human rights and freedoms secured by ECHR and Protocol No. 1. He has recently published a textbook on Part II of the Cyprus Constitution,Note “Cyprus Constitutional Law: Fundamental Rights and Liberties” (712 pages-in Greek), published by Nomiki Vivliothiki the leading publisher of legal texts in Greece. The book is a detailed study of Part II of the Cyprus Constitution (Articles 6-35) Fundamental Rights and Liberties, an analytical review of all the relevant jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of Cyprus and the ECtHR. It is a work that primarily concerns the protection of human rights and the relationship between those rights and the constitutional functions of the Republic of Cyprus.
He was the Cyprus based representative for The European Criminal Justice Project, which was carried out by the Advice on Individual Rights in Europe (AIRE) Centre.Note He worked as the research assistant on a project conducted within the Human Rights and Social Justice Research Institute entitled “International human rights and fact-finding: An analysis of fact-finding hearings and missions of the European Court (and Commission) of Human Rights”.Note During 2007, he was a study visitor at the Secretariat of the Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee (AS/Jur) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.Note
Costas Paraskeva has participated as an expert on ECHR in the 11th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights, on “National and Regional Human Rights Mechanisms”.Note He has completed the course Training for Trainers: Legal Aspects of Enforced DisappearancesNote and attended the course on “The European System of Human Rights Protection”.Note
Costas Paraskeva has participated in numerous national and international academic conferences, expert seminars and workshops on the European Convention on Human Rights.Note His particular interest in the ongoing reforms of the ECtHR is illustrated by his participation in the following:
4th Warsaw Seminar: Concepts of General Domestic Remedy and Simplified Procedure for Amending the Convention in the post-Interlaken Process (9-10 September 2010).Note
High Level Conference on the “Future of the European Court of Human Rights” at the initiative of the Swiss Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. He participated as an ad-hoc advisor of the Republic of Cyprus, Interlaken, Switzerland, 18-19 February 2010.Note
Third Informal Seminar for Government Agents and Other Institutions on Pilot Judgment Procedure in the European Court of Human Rights and the Future Development of Human Rights’ Standards and Procedures, where he presented the paper on “The Application of the "Pilot Judgments Procedure" to the Post-Loizidou Cases – the Case of Xenides-Arestis”, Warsaw, Poland, 14–15 May 2009.
Colloquy organised under the Swedish chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. “Applying and Supervising the ECHR- Towards stronger implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights at national level”, Stockholm, Sweden, 9-10 June 2008.
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Member of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture of the Council of Europe (CPT), 2011, 2015.
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2010-Present – Cyprus Contact Point for European Criminal Law Academic Network (ECLAN). "ECLAN" is funded by the European Commission (AGIS Programme) and both the Ministries of Justice in Luxembourg and Belgium. The network's aim is to facilitate and strengthen research and academic education in the field of European criminal law.
Paraskeva, C., “Cyprus Constitutional Law: Fundamental Rights and Liberties“, Nomiki Vivliothiki, Athens, 2015 (in Greek).
Paraskeva, C., “The Relationship Between the Domestic Implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Ongoing Reforms of the European Court of Human Rights (With a Case Study on Cyprus and Turkey)”, Intersentia, Antwerp – Oxford – Portland, 2010.
Leach, P., & Paraskeva, C., & Uzelac, G., “International Human Rights & Fact-finding: An analysis of the fact-finding missions conducted by the European Commission and Court of Human Rights”, Report by the Human Rights and Social Justice Research Institute, London Metropolitan University, February 2009.
Paraskeva, C. & Meleagrou, E. “Homes From the Past: An Expiration Date for the Right to Respect for Home Under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights”, Annuaire International des Droits de l'Homme (Vol. VII), 2012-2013, pp. 845-877.
Paraskeva, C., “The Execution of the Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the Greek Cypriot Property Cases”, “The Cyprus Problem in Development, International Dimension, Issues of Governance, Human Rights”, Foundation of International Legal Research Professor Elias Krispi and Dr. A. Samara-Krispi, 2011, Sakkoula Publishers, Athens-Thessaloniki, pp. 225-241 (In Greek).
Leach, P., & Paraskeva, C., & Uzelac, G., “Human Rights Fact-finding: The European Court of Human Rights at a Crossroads”, Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights, Vol. 28, No. 1, 2010, pp. 41-77.
Paraskeva, C., “The Application of the ‘pilot judgments procedure’ to the post-Loizidou cases”, Annuaire International Des Droits De L’ Homme, Vol. IV, 2009, pp. 573-588.
Paraskeva, C., “The application of the "pilot judgments procedure" to the post-Loizidou cases – the case of Xenides-Arestis”, in “Third Informal Seminar for Government Agents and Other Institutions on Pilot Judgment Procedure in the European Court of Human Rights and the Future Development of Human Rights’ Standards and Procedures, Warsaw, 14–15 May 2009”, Kontrast, Warsaw 2009, pp. 99-107.
Paraskeva, C., “The Adoption of the Pilot Judgment Procedure by the European Court of Human Rights”, Revue Hellénique des droits de l’homme, 2009, Vol. 43, pp. 719-743 (In Greek).
Paraskeva, C., “Returning the Protection of Human Rights to Where They Belong, At Home”, The International Journal of Human Rights, Vol. 12, No. 3, June 2008, pp. 415-448.
Paraskeva, C., “Reforming the European Court of Human Rights: An Ongoing Challenge”, Nordic Journal of International Law, Vol. 76, 2007, pp. 185-216.
Paraskeva, C., “Human Rights Protection Begins and Ends at Home: The ‘Pilot Judgment Procedure’ Developed by the European Court of Human Rights”, Human Rights Law Commentary, Volume 3, 2007 available at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/law/hrlc/publications/hrlc.php
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I am fluent in English and confirm that if elected I undertake to continue intensive language classes to bring the standard of my written and spoken French up to the necessary level of proficiency.
I confirm that if elected I would take up permanent residence in Strasbourg.
Dr. Costakis Paraskeva, 1 December 2015
Name, forename: George Serghides
Sex: male
Date and place of birth: 28 June 1955, Nicosia, Cyprus
Nationality: Cypriot (Greek)
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
University of Exeter, United Kingdom.
Field of Law: Private International Law (Conflict of Laws).
Title of Ph.D. thesis: “Internal and External Conflict of Laws in Regard to Family Relations in Cyprus”. (In English).
Supervised by Reader Antony J. E. Jaffey.
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Field of Law: Comparative Administrative Law.
Title of Ph.D. thesis: “Set-off of Betterment of the Remainder Against the Value of the Land Compulsorily Taken under the Cyprus Law – With Comparisons to the Greek Law, the English Law, the American Law, the Canadian Law and the First Protocol of ECHR ”. (In Greek).
Supervised by Prof. Prodromos Dagtoglou.
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
Field of Law: Comparative Family Law.
Title of Ph.D. thesis: “The Formation of the Grounds for Divorce under Cyprus Law with a Comparative Study of Greek and English Law”. (In Greek).
Supervised by Prof. Efie Kounougeri-Manoledaki.
Democritus University of Thrace, Greece.
Field of Law: Comparative Constitutional Law, Human Rights and Criminal Law.
Title of the Ph.D. thesis: “The Right of Life under Article 2 of ECHR and the Respective Constitutional Provisions in Cyprus and in Greece, With Reference to the Relevant Legislation and Case Law”. (In Greek).
Supervised by Prof. S. Minaides.
Attendance and participation:
Lectures/Speeches on Family Law, at local and international seminars and conferences, at the University of Cyprus, the University of Nicosia, the Welfare Office, the Bar Associations in Cyprus, the Athens Bar Association, U.N. Headquarters in New York and other venues.
In June 2012, presided a session on Mediation in Athens sponsored by the European Commission.
In December 2012, participated in at a panel discussion in U.N. Headquarters for the elections of ICC Judges.
Editor of the series "Studia Juris Cyprii", consisting at the moment of 9 volumes. Author of 6 books, joint Author of 2 books and contributor in 5 other books. Many other publications.
G. A. Serghides ed. «Studies in Cyprus Law» ("Studia Juris Cyprii") – a series of publications. Nine volumes have been issued to date.
Further details of the above Studies׃
Volume no. 1 (pages 629), Study No. 1 (in English)׃ “Internal and External Conflict of Laws in Regard to Family Relations in Cyprus”, Nicosia, 1988. Author and editor׃ G. A. Serghides. With a foreword by the late President of the Supreme Court, A. N. Loizou.
Volume no. 2 (pages 281), Study No. 2 (in Greek)׃ “Immovable Property in Cyprus”, Nicosia, 1992. Author׃ N. C. Coutas. Editor׃ G. A. Serghides. With a foreword of the late Judge of the Supreme Court, I. Boyiadjis.
Volume no. 3 (pages 653), Study No. 3 (in English)׃ “Reflections on Partial Compulsory Acquisition and Urban Environment”, Nicosia, 1995. Joint Authors׃ C. Georgiades and G. A. Serghides. Editor׃ G. A. Serghides. With a foreword by Professor Prodromos Dagtoglou.
Volume no. 4 (pages 705), Study No. 4 (in Greek)׃ “Set-off of Betterment of the Remainder Against the Value of the Land Compulsorily Taken under the Cyprus Law – With Comparisons to the Greek Law, the English Law, the American Law, the Canadian Law and the First Protocol of ECHR ”, Nicosia, 1999. Author׃ G. A. Serghides. Editor׃ G. A. Serghides.
Volumes nos. 5 & 6 (pages 1546), Study No. 5 (in Greek)׃ “The Formation of the Grounds for Divorce under Cyprus Law with a Comparative Study of Greek and English Law, Nicosia, 2007. Author׃ G. A. Serghides. Editor׃ G. A. Serghides. With a foreword by Professor Efie Kounougeri-Manoledaki.
Volume no. 7 (pages 150) Study No. 6 (in Greek)׃ The Technique of Cross-Examination – The Golden Rules of Cross-Examination and Four Masters of Antiquity, two Greeks (Socrates and Aristotle) and two Latins (Cicero and Quintilian). Author׃ G. A. Serghides. Editor׃ G. A. Serghides. With a foreword by Dr. D. H. Hadjihambis, the Chief Justice of Cyprus and a former lecturer of Exeter University.
Volume no. 8 (pages 837), General Title of the Volume: “Advocacy and Cross-Examination” Study No. 7 (translation into Greek by V. Soteriou of an old treatise on the ”Study and Practice of the Law”, with an extensive introduction by G. A. Serghides), Study No. 8 “On the Art of Cross-Examination etc” (in English, Author G. A. Serghides). Editor G. A. Serghides.
Volume no. 9 (pages 761) General Title of the Volume: “Pecuniary Relations of Spouses and Cohabitants (Literature and First Instance Judgments) & Miscellaneous Legal Topics” Studies No. 9 & 10, containing judicial judgments on property relations of spouses and many articles on various legal topics, on family law, administrative law and criminal law, (some in Greek and some in English). Editor and main author G. A. Serghides. With the contribution of Professor Th. Papazissi.
Volumes nos. 10-11 (pages 1222) Study No. 11 (in Greek): “The Right of Life under Article 2 of ECHR and the Respective Constitutional Provisions in Cyprus and in Greece, With Reference to the Relevant Legislation and Case Law”.
A Cypriot and an American publication:
1. G. A. Serghides, “General Defenses to a Criminal Responsibility, with Recommendations for the Amendment of the Cyprus Criminal Code”, published in Cyprus Law Commissioner, ed., the Revision of the Legislation in Cyprus 1987-1992”, Nicosia, 1992. (In Greek).
2. G. A. Serghides, “Violations of Constitutional Civil Liberties by Sects and Parareligious Groups” in: “Destructive Sects in the Light of Orthodoxy and their Legal Confrontation”, Limassol, 1996, pp. 243-271.(In Greek).
3. G. A. Serghides, “Religious Freedom, Use and Misuse” in: “Religious Freedom and Human Rights” Limassol, 2000 pp. 79-100. (In Greek).
4. G. A. Serghides, “The Institution of Mediation in Family Disputes, Necessity of its Establishment in Cyprus”, in Family Law in the 21st Century, ed. Th. Papachristou and E. Kounougeri-Manoledaki, Athens-Saloncia, 2012, pp. 91-118 (in Greek).
5. G. A. Serghides, Cyprus National Section in Family Law, published by ERA for the purposes of its legal seminars.
Ten articles are mentioned as requested ׃
Plethora of Judicial Judgments and Orders since 1990 in all Matters of Family Law, e.g. Divorce, Nullity of Marriage, Parental Control and Custody of Children, Determination of Right of Access, Maintenance of Children and Spouses, Property Relations of Spouses, Adoption of Children, Legitimation of Children and Recognition of Foreign Decrees.
09/07/2014
Updated 1st/12/2015 (Dr. G. A. Serghides)