The Supreme Court will announce its decision over the case surrounding Thanasis Nicolaou’s death at a later unspecified date, after Monday’s hearing had lawyers from each side put forth their arguments.
State pathologist Panicos Stavrianos filed a judicial review, seeking to annul the findings of the third death inquiry in Nicolaou’s death.
It had ruled that Nicolaou was strangled to death – contrary to Stavrianos’ findings in 2005 that said it was suicide.
Nicolaou’s family submitted an objection, and during Monday’s hearing, lawyers from both sides of the courtroom put forth their arguments.
Stavrianos’ lawyer Andriana Klaidi said her client had a legitimate interest to request the review, arguing that he had been barred from taking the witness stand during the latest inquiry into Nicolaou’s death.
She cited British law from 2009 to back her case, arguing that state pathologists are interested parties and therefore have a right to participate.
Klaidi argued that as a result of the death inquiry, Stavrianos could face criminal and disciplinary charges.
This was rebutted by one of the lawyers for Nicolaou’s family, Christos Clerides who argued nothing would happen to Stavrianos.
If after 20 years, three death inquiries and a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights, the case has to start anew, then justice is not being served, Clerides underlined.
This is because if the ruling is nullified then the process starts anew.
Clerides also argued that Stavrianos submitted his certiorari request past the deadline.
Supreme Court withheld its decision for a later, unspecified date.
