Watchdog calls for transparency in Cyprus judge appointments

NICOSIA, Cyprus – The Council of Europe’s anti-corruption group is calling for more transparency on how judges in Cyprus are appointed.

A compliance report by the GRECO group gave a mixed assessment Wednesday, saying Cypriot authorities fully implemented only two out of 16 of its recommendations to prevent judicial corruption.

It said “specific, objective requirements” on a candidate’s integrity contained in a publicly available document would help increase transparency on such appointments.

The group urged the judicial branch to consider including lower-court judges in a body that’s responsible for the appointment, transfer, promotion and discipline of judges.

It said a code of conduct should be drawn up for judges, and called for strengthening the independence of prosecutors.