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In Chamber's judgment in the case of Ramishvili v. Georgia (application no. 4100/24) the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights. The case concerned civil defamation proceedings brought by the applicant, a well-known defence lawyer, against a prominent clergyman of the Georgian Orthodox Church, for statements he had made during a televised interview accusing him of being a “snitch” and feeding information to the secret services. The Court found that the clergyman’s statements had been made in the context of a matter of public interest, namely a high-profile criminal case, and that the applicant himself was a public figure who therefore had to show higher tolerance of others’ opinions.  However, the accusations against him had been very serious and should have had a solid basis in fact to be protected under the Convention. Instead of lookin...

By Giorgos Kazoleas, Lawyer in Cyprus For most people, purchasing property in Cyprus is the most significant investment of their lifetime. However, behind an attractive photo in an online listing or a "bargain" price, hidden legal traps can easily turn a dream investment into a financial nightmare. Property Due Diligence is far more than a mere formality. It is a rigorous, essential investigation that ensures the property you are buying is legally "sound," free of encumbrances, and in full compliance with urban planning regulations. What Does a Comprehensive Legal Check Include? Before any contracts are signed or any funds are transferred to the Seller, the following elements must be subjected to a thorough legal audit: Ownership Status: Is the seller the actual and sole registered owner? Do they hold the full share of the property being sold? Encumbrances and Charges: Are there any active mortgages, "memos" (court judgments), or other regional bur...

Judgment of the Court in Case C-45/24 (15.1.2026)- Verein für Konsumenteninformation : Cancellation of a flight: the refund of the airline ticket price must include the commission collected by an intermediary at the time of purchase. It is not necessary for the airline to know the exact amount of that commission. Several travellers purchased airline tickets on the booking portal of the Opodo travel agency [1] for a KLM return flight from Vienna (Austria) to Lima (Peru). Since the flights were cancelled, KLM reimbursed the amount they had paid, minus approximately € 95 that Opodo had charged them as agency commission. The air passengers concerned assigned their potential rights to reimbursement to a consumer protection association. That association contends, before the Austrian courts, that the reimbursement of the cost of the airline tickets by the airline in question should include the agency commission charged to passengers, as in the present case, by a travel agency acting as that a...

Written By Giorgos Kazoleas, Lawyer at Legal Experts Cyprus In modern private international law, determining the Forum Conveniens (the appropriate court) for resolving parental responsibility disputes is a critical issue for ensuring the best interests of the child. Within the Cypriot legal order, the jurisdiction of Family Courts in cases involving international elements—such as those involving third-country nationals—is primarily established through the concept of "habitual residence." 1. The Legal Framework: The 1996 Hague Convention and National Law The establishment of jurisdiction for Cypriot Courts arises from the combined application of international and national rules: 1996 Hague Convention [1] : According to Article 5, the judicial or administrative authorities of the Contracting State of the child’s habitual residence have jurisdiction to take measures directed at the protection of the child’s person or property. The Family Courts Law (Law 23/1990) : Arti...

Written by Giorgos Kazoleas, Managing Partner Lawyer at Legal Experts Cyprus In the Cypriot labor market, personnel management is often characterized by employer practices that exploit the fear and insecurity of employees. A particularly serious issue is the pretextual threat of collective redundancies within companies and enterprises. When such a threat does not reflect a genuine need for restructuring or financial distress, but is instead used deceptively as leverage to intensify labor and suppress claims (e.g., salary increases, bonus claims, other benefits, promotions, etc.), it transforms into a form of workplace harassment (mobbing) with specific legal implications. The Specialized Legal Framework: Law 42(I)/2025 The legal handling of this phenomenon—which has reached concerning proportions in Cyprus—was decisively strengthened by the enactment of the Prevention and Combating of Violence and Harassment at the Workplace Law of 2025 (Law 42(I)/2025). This law incorporates the...

Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-422/24 (Storstockholms Lokaltrafik) dated 18.12.2025 - GDPR: If a body camera is used during a ticket inspection, certain information must be provided immediately to the passenger concerned. The most important information may be indicated on a warning sign, while other information may be provided in an easily accessible place. A public transport company in Stockholm (Sweden) equips its ticket inspectors with body cameras to film passengers during ticket inspections. The Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection fined that company for breaching several provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). [1]  Among other things, it considers that the use of body cameras allowed personal data to be collected directly [2] from the persons filmed, who had not been provided with sufficient information in that regard.  The company disputes that there has been a breach of the obligation to provide information. It maintains that it col...

By Giorgos Kazoleas, LL.M., Lawyer, Managing Partner at Legal Experts Cyprus Harassment or bullying during a job interview can now legally be considered workplace harassment. This is explicitly provided for in recent Cypriot legislation regarding workplace harassment, which widens the scope of application to include candidates for employment. The Legal Framework in Cyprus: Law 42(I)/2025 Law 42(I)/2025 (The Prevention and Combating of Violence and Harassment at Work Law), which came into force on April 11, 2025, explicitly extends protection against harassment and violence to the recruitment process and employment negotiations before a contract is signed. According to the interpretation of terms in Article 2 of the Law, the definition of an "employee" includes, among others, a person: "Whose employment relationship has not yet begun, in cases where the violation of the provisions of this Law has been committed during the recruitment process or at another stage of...

Legal research assistant in the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD). This position is located primarily in the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Internship Programme is unpaid and full-time, i.e., an intern is expected to work five days per week (40 hours).  This internship position is offered on an in-person basis. The internship will be located in the Division on International Trade and Commodities (DITC), Competition and Consumer Policies Branch. The internship will tentatively start on 19 January 2026 for 6 months. For in-person internships, interns must have a valid visa. All costs of travel, accommodation, medical insurance and living expenses must be covered by the intern. Work location: Geneva Expected duration: 19.01.26 -17.07.26 Deadline : Dec 16, 2025 More information and applications here

Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-57/23 (Policejní prezidium): The police of a Member State may decide, on the basis of internal rules, whether it is ecessary to store the biometric and genetic data of a person accused or suspected of a criminal offence.  Where national law sets appropriate time limits for a review of the need to store those data, it does not necessarily need to provide for a maximum period of storage . A Czech public official was interviewed by the police in the context of criminal proceedings involving him. Despite his objections, the police ordered the taking of his fingerprints, the taking of a buccal smear on the basis of which the police established a genetic profile, the taking of photographs and the drawing up of a description of him. That information was entered into various databases.  In 2017, the public official was convicted by final judgment of, inter alia, misconduct in public office. In separate proceedings, he challenged the identific...

Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-272/24 (Tribunalul Galați) on 13.11.2025: A judge who carries out tasks which fall to a vacant post at his or her court, in addition to those within the remit of the post to which he or she has been appointed, is not necessarily entitled to financial compensation. The grant of a rest period to compensate for the additional work is, under certain conditions, an adequate measure. The Galați Regional Court (Romania) is understaffed due to various judicial posts remaining vacant. A judge who has been working at that court since 2017 took the view that, since 2019, he has performed not only the tasks associated with his own post, but also, in part, those tasks linked to vacant posts.  Being of the opinion that he has worked overtime, that judge requested that he be remunerated for it. Specifically, he brought legal proceedings to claim a share of the net salaries and allowances attached to the vacant posts, divided by the number of judges in ac...