Cyprus

Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus 1960, as amended to 2019

Customary Law

English

1. The Communal Chambers shall, in relation to their respective Community, have competence to exercise within the limits of this Constitution and subject to paragraph 3 of this Article, legislative power solely with regard to the following matters:—
…
c. personal status;
d. The composition and instances (βαθμούς δικαιοδοσίας - dereceleri) of courts dealing with civil disputes relating to personal status and to religious matters;
… (Art. 87)
Greek

Εκατέρα Κοινοτική Συνέλευσις έχει αρμοδιότητα, εν σχέσει προς την αντίστοιχον κοινότητα, να ασκεί, ενός των ορίων του Συντάγματος και υπό τους περιορισμούς της τρίτης παραγράφου του παρόντος άρθρου, νομοθετικήν εξουσίαν αποκλειστικώς και μόνον επί των κατωτέρω θεμάτων:
…
(γ) επί του προσωπικού θεσμού,
(δ) επί της συνθέσεως και των βαθμών δικαιοδοσίας των δικαστηρίων, των εκδικαζόντων αστικάς διαφοράς, αναφερομένας εις τον προσωπικόν θεσμόν και εις θρησκευτικά ζητήματα,
… (Αρθρον 87)
Turkish

1. Topluluk odaları, kendi Topluluklarıyla ilgili olarak, bu Anayasanın sınırları dahilinde ve bu maddenin 3. paragrafına tabi olarak, yalnızca AŞAĞIDAKİLERLE ilgili yasama yetkisine sahip olacaktır matters:-
...
c. kişisel durum;
d. kişisel statü ve dini konularla ilgili medeni uyuşmazlıklarla ilgilenen mahkemelerin bileşimi ve örnekleri;
...(Madde 87)

Customary Law

English

1. A communal law made by the Communal Chamber concerned shall, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, provide for the establishment, composition and jurisdiction of courts to deal with civil disputes relating to personal status and to religious matters which are reserved for the competence of the Communal Chambers by the provisions of this Constitution.
…
3. Any such court as aforesaid in the exercise of its jurisdiction, shall apply the laws made by the Communal Chamber concerned: Provided that nothing in this paragraph contained shall preclude a court of the Republic from applying in a case, where an issue relating to personal status or to religious matters is raised incidentally, the relevant communal law. (Art. 160)
Greek

1. Tηρουμένων των διατάξεων του Συντάγματος, κοινοτικός νόμος, ψηφιζόμενος υπό Kοινοτικής Συνελεύσεως, θέλει προβλέψει περί της ιδρύσεως, της συνθέσεως και της δικαιοδοσίας δικαστηρίων, άτινα θα δικάζωσι τας αστικάς διαφοράς, τας αφορώσας εις τον προσωπικόν θεσμόν και εις θρησκευτικά ζητήματα, τα οποία υπάγονται κατά τας διατάξεις του Συντάγματος εις την αρμοδιότητα των Kοινοτικών Συνελεύσεων.
…
3. Eν τη ενασκήσει της δικαιοδοσίας αυτών τα ανωτέρω δικαστήρια εφαρμόζουσι τούς υπέρ της οικείας Kοινοτικής Συνελεύσεως ψηφιζομένους νόμους’ αι διατάξεις όμως της παραγράφου ταύτης δεν αποκλείουσι το δικαίωμα δικαστηρίου της Δημοκρατίας να εφαρμόση τον σχετικόν κοινοτικόν νόμον επί υποθέσεως, καθ’ ην παρεμπιπτόντως εγείρεται ζήτημα προσωπικού θεσμού ή θρησκευτικόν ζήτημα. (Αρθρον 160)
Turkish

1. Shall ilgili Ortak Ticaret Odası tarafından yapılan ortak bir kanunu, bu Anayasa hükümleri, kuruluş, kişisel durum ve Cemaat meclisleri yeterliliği için bu Anayasa hükümlerine göre ayrılmış olan dini konularla ilgili sivil anlaşmazlıklar ile başa çıkmak için mahkemelerin, kompozisyon ve yargı sağlar.
…
3. Bu paragrafta yer alan hiçbir şey, Cumhuriyet Mahkemesinin, kişisel statü veya dini konularla ilgili bir sorunun tesadüfen ortaya çıktığı bir davada başvurmasını engellememesi koşuluyla, ilgili Topluluk Yasası tarafından yapılan yasaları uygulayacaktır. (Madde 160)

Customary Law

English

Subject to paragraph 3 of Article 160 the courts of the Republic shall have power to apply also the relevant communal laws other than those relating to personal status and to religious matters. (Art. 161)
Greek

Tηρουμένων των διατάξεων της τρίτης παραγράφου του άρθρου 160 τα δικαστήρια της Δημοκρατίας έχουσιν εξουσίαν να εφαρμόζωσι και τους οικείους κοινοτικούς νόμους πλην των περί προσωπικού θεσμού και των θρησκευτικών θεμάτων νόμων. (Αρθρον 161)
Turkish

160. maddenin 3. fıkrasına tabi olarak, Cumhuriyet Mahkemeleri, kişisel statü ve dini konularla ilgili olanlar dışındaki ilgili toplumsal yasaları da uygulama yetkisine sahiptir. (Madde 161)

Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus 1960, as amended to 2015 (English), available in HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated Library (2019). Consolidated version as amended to 2019 not publicly available. According to Art. 3(1): "The official languages of the Republic are Greek and Turkish.”

Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus 1960, as amended to 2019 (Greek).

Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus 1960, as amended to 2019 (Turkish). In-house translation by UN Women (2020).

Links to all sites last visited 31 March 2021

For all provisions on jurisdiction and access, refer to Articles 137-151.

Part II on Fundamental Rights and Liberties.