1. UNIFORMITY OF LAW AND REGULATIONS

The Republic of Cyprus has a national system of justice which is enforced uniformly throughout the government-controlled area of the country. The northern part of the island (approximately one-third of the total area) was occupied by Turkish forces in 1974, and it remains so at present. Information in this chapter does not apply to the occupied area. Cyprus was a British colony until 1960 and followed English law. Following independence, Cyprus law continues to lean heavily on English law, but since Cyprus joined the EU in 2004 European law has also become influential.

This history is evident in the fact that mechanisms exist for the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments via several routes, namely:

– European Union Regulations, particularly Regulation 44/2001 on Jurisdiction and the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters ('Regulation 44/2001'), Regulation 1215/2012 on Jurisdiction and the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (recast) ('Regulation 1215/2012') and Regulation 805/2004 creating a European Enforcement Order for Uncontested Claims ('Regulation 805/2004').

– Common law.

– Statute.

– Bilateral treaties and multilateral conventions.

Publisher: Wolters Kluwer

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