Criminal law is a set of legal regulations that determine the actions that society condemns. A criminal wrong describes an action that inexcusably and unacceptably threatens or causes considerable damage to individuals or the general public. Criminal law aims at protecting society and to dishearten such acts, by imposing punishments on individuals conducting those actions.
The criminal legal system of the Republic of Cyprus has been effective since 1928 and has come to be “respected and esteemed as a keystone of fairness”. Criminal justice and procedure are in line with the fundamental civil rights and liberties established in the Constitution of Cyprus. Criminal law in Cyprus reflects to a large degree the prevalent principles and major offenses of the English Common Law, with great influence from the French Penal Code and the continental European Criminal systems. The accusatorial system of criminal justice is similar in nature to the one adopted by Common Law.
The principles of the criminal law are laid down in the Criminal Code (Cap 154), which comprises a codified version of all main offenses and criminal responsibilities. Matters of criminal proceedings are governed by the Criminal Procedure Law (Cap 155).The Criminal Procedure Law is structured to provide support to all significant provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, the European Convention of Human Rights and international treaties. This provides for the application of the law in such a way, so as to safeguard the rights of citizens, while not hindering the protection of individuals from criminal wrongs and the suitable conferment of justice.
Criminal justice is enforced by the District Courts, the Assize Court and the Supreme Court of Cyprus in its appellate jurisdiction. The verdicts of the Supreme Court are binding on all subordinate Courts. There is a vast array of acts that comprise a criminal wrong and are punishable by Cyprus’ Courts, such as:
- violent crime
- assault
- theft
- drug trafficking and possession
- crimes related to property
- road traffic offences
- fraud
- money laundering
- regulatory offenses
Punishments may vary from a fine, suspended sentence, home monitoring, probation and even imprisonment. Legal and court proceedings also differ, based on the degree of the crime committed.
Criminal Defense
Criminal proceedings necessitate the prompt involvement of dedicated lawyers from the outset and often at very short notice. The lawyers at Michael Chambers & Co. LLC are experienced enough to provide immediate assistance and advise parties all over the way, from the early stages of police investigation to preparation for the trial, right through to appealing a decision.
Our team of criminal justice lawyers provides the highest quality service and advocacy on the full range of criminal law matters. They appear before all District Courts of Cyprus, undertaking any type of criminal case, from the simplest to the most complex. Apart from general crime law, our lawyers obtain vast experience acting on behalf of individuals and companies being investigated our accused for business crime. We have specialist knowledge in this area of practice and our lawyers provide legal advice with regard to fraud cases, regulatory offenses and money laundering cases, among others.
We convey our extensive experience to the demands of each criminal case to prepare an effective defense and minimize the chances of being convicted. To ensure this happens and that our clients receive the best defense representation, we meticulously review the facts of their case and work closely with them over frequent meetings in order to make sure that nothing is left to chance and the defense case is prepared the best way possible.
If you have been charged with a crime, do not leave your future to chance. Receive the best possible legal representation, by contacting Michael Chambers & Co. LLC.
