The public works department have got the go-ahead to proclaim an architectural competition for the new courts in Nicosia, replacing the existing building near the buffer zone, at a cost of €119 million.
The new complex will be erected close by and will be accessible only by passing through Unficyp’s Wolseley barracks.
The current colonial building which houses the courts was once a garrison and a former home to the English School and was constructed under British rule about 90 years ago. It has never been renovated, is leaking and drafty, the paint is peeling off and the floors are creaking.
President of the Cyprus Bar Association Michalis Vorkas said the state of the building “does not indicate that we are in a European country”.
“We are humiliated in front of our own and foreign litigants,” Vorkas added.
The new courts, to be built to the west of their current building, have been a longstanding demand dating back to 1969.
When the decision was finally made for a new building, the idea was to move the Unficyp barracks, however this did not happen, which delayed the project for over five years.
Over the past few days, Communication and Works Minister Alexis Vafeades reached an agreement with Unficyp to be granted access through the barracks, with a restriction of only 150 vehicles allowed to pass.
A nearby state plot will be made into a parking place to accommodate cars not allowed in.
This paved the way for proclaiming the architectural competition so that construction can at last go ahead.
The procedure will take about 15 months, after which tenders will be released for a contractor, estimated to take another six to nine months. Construction work will take about four years.
Politis said other necessary tasks have been completed, including an archaeological survey, a military sweep for dangerous materials or explosives, a traffic assessment, a building programme and an appraisal.
The building programme includes the various court rooms, underground parking space and storage areas.
The state budget for 2025 includes a sum of €119 million for the project.
