CEDH · CASELAW;COMMUNICATEDCASES;ENG — 28 février 2023

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .s379BC09C { margin-top:36pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s10950C61 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:14.2pt; text-align:justify } .s5E1364CA { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:12pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:14pt } .s339D85E6 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .s665E407E { margin-top:66pt; margin-bottom:14pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .s23860FF7 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:14.2pt; text-align:center } .sF28C8B01 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:14pt } .s6C3AD4CB { width:123.46%; border-collapse:collapse } .sDC5C250D { width:6.3%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .s2EF62ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt } .sEECE831 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#474747 } .s676520C6 { width:31.2%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .s40EA47CF { width:18.74%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .s54E9D62F { width:18.76%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .sC590A1FB { width:25%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .s365AAAF9 { width:6.3%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s86AFFEFC { width:31.2%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s6DBC7ED9 { width:18.74%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .sD77B6B90 { width:18.76%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s30ADBAC4 { width:25%; border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s9793A85B { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:14.2pt } Published on 20 March 2023   THIRD SECTION Application no. 45089/20 Demetra HADJIPETROU and Others against Cyprus lodged on 7 October 2020 communicated on 28 February 2023 SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASE The applicants are employees or pensioners of the public sector. The applications concern the deduction of a tiered percentage monthly from their gross salaries and pensions based on the Law on the Reduction in Emoluments and Pensions of Officials, Employees and Pensioners of the Public Service and of the broader Public Sector of 2012 (Law   no.   168(I)/2012). The applicants filed recourses to challenge their salary and pension deductions arguing, inter alia , that Law 168(I)/2012 had been unconstitutional, as it placed a restriction on their right to property on grounds that had not been permissible under Article 23 of the Constitution. They supported their arguments by reference, inter alia, to the findings of the majority of the Supreme Court in the case of Maria Koutselini-Ioannidou v.   The Republic of Cyprus, no. 740/2011 and others, (2014) 3 A.A.D. 361 (plenary judgment of 7 October 2014). In that case the Supreme Court held, among others, that the suspension of pensions while public servants held another public position by virtue of Law 88(I)/2011 breached Article 23 of the Constitution, which had provided greater protection than Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. The court based its finding on the fact that paragraph 3 of Article 23 of the Constitution had not included public interest or public benefit as a justification for limiting the right to property. Consequently, the court held that the suspension of pensions had been unconstitutional as it constituted a restriction to the right to property on grounds that had not been permitted by paragraph 3 of Article 23 of the Constitution. Following, inter alia, the above case-law, the Administrative Court allowed the applicants’ recourses and held, by majority, that Law 168(I)/2012 had been unconstitutional. On 10 April 2020 the plenary of the Supreme Court (appellate jurisdiction) allowed the appeals lodged by the Government, and held that Law   168(I)/2012 had been constitutional, adopting the reasoning of the majority in the earlier case of George Charalambous and others v. The Republic of Cyprus, case no. 1480/2011 and others (2014) 3 A.A.D. 175 (plenary judgment of 9 December 2011). In that case the court had stated that the deduction of special contribution from the salaries and pensions of the applicants by virtue of Law 112(I)/2011 could not be justified by reasons of public benefit under paragraph 3 of Article 23 of the Constitution. Nonetheless, the court held that the relatively small reduction of the salaries had not affected the core of the right to receive a salary, which had remained intact and had not been rendered devoid. As a result, according to the court, the reduction had not constituted a deprivation or restriction, outside the parameters of Article 23. The applicants complain under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention that the principle of legal certainty had been breached as the Supreme Court in its 2020 judgment failed to follow established case-law, namely, Maria   Koutselini-Ioannidou v. The Republic of Cyprus, no. 740/2011 and others, (2014) 3 A.A.D. 361 (plenary judgment of 7 October 2014). The applicants further complain under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 about the quality of Law 168(I)/2012 which they allege had not been foreseeable as it lacked explanations as to the necessity of its enactment, that the deprivation of part of their salary and/or pension had not had sufficient basis in the law as Article 23 of the Constitution did not allow for such restrictions, and that the impugned measures constituted an unjustified and arbitrary interference with their right to property under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES 1.     Did the applicants have a fair hearing in the determination of their civil rights and obligations, in accordance with Article 6 § 1 of the Convention? In particular, having regard to the applicants’ complaint, was the principle of legal certainty complied with by the domestic courts (see for instance, Albu and Others v. Romania , nos. 34796/09 and 63 others, 10 May 2012)?   2.     Has there been an interference with the applicants’ peaceful enjoyment of possessions, within the meaning of Article 1 of Protocol No.   1, on account of the measures adopted by Law no. 168(I)/2012? If so, was the interference in accordance with domestic law, bearing also in mind that the protection of the right to property under Article 23 of the Constitution is wider than that provided for by Article 1 of Protocol No. 1? In addition, did the applicable domestic law meet the requirement of legal certainty and foreseeability? Did the interference pursue a legitimate aim and was it necessary in a democratic society?   3.     The parties are requested to verify the accuracy of the information and data provided in the appended Annex.   APPENDIX   List of applicants   No. Applicant’s Name Year of birth Nationality Place of residence 1. Demetra HADJIPETROU 1979 Cypriot Nicosia 2. Anastasios ANASTASIOU 1966 Cypriot Nicosia 3. Katerina CHRISTOFI 1965 Cypriot Nicosia 4. Antouanetta EFTHYMIOU 1966 Cypriot Limassol 5. Paraskevi HADJIMICHAEL 1962 Cypriot Nicosia 6. Georgios HADJISAVVA 1967 Cypriot Nicosia 7. Giannis HADJISAVVAS 1973 Cypriot Limassol 8. Stella HADJISOTERIOU 1969 Cypriot Limassol 9. Ioannis IOANNOU 1956 Cypriot Paphos 10. Myrto IOANNOU 1976 Cypriot Nicosia 11. Thekla KADI 1962 Cypriot Nicosia 12. Evi KALISPERIDOU 1968 Cypriot Limassol 13. Elena KARSERA - ATHANASIOU 1956 Cypriot Limassol 14. Georghia KROKOU 1966 Cypriot Limassol 15. Andreas KYPRIANOU 1963 Cypriot Limassol 16. Katia LAZARIDOU - KARAGIORGI 1966 Cypriot Nicosia 17. Lazaros LAZAROU 1964 Cypriot Nicosia 18. Kyriaki LEONIDOU 1972 Cypriot Nicosia 19. Pantelitsa LOIZIA - CONSTANTINOU 1970 Cypriot Nicosia 20. Elena LOIZIDOU 1974 Cypriot Nicosia 21. Panagiota LOIZOU - HERODOTOU 1969 Cypriot Nicosia 22. Soteroula LOUCAIDOU 1968 Cypriot Limassol 23. Maria LYSANDROU 1959 Cypriot Nicosia 24. Kyriacos MARANGOS 1968 Cypriot Nicosia 25. Fotis MATSIS 1974 Cypriot Nicosia 26. Evridiki NICOLAIDOU - TAMBOURI 1963 Cypriot Nicosia 27. Maria NICOLAOU 1963 Cypriot Limassol 28. Vasos NICOLAOU 1960 Cypriot Limassol 29. Penelopi PETSA - KOUKKIDOU 1951 Cypriot Nicosia 30. Georgios SAVVA 1959 Cypriot Paphos 31. Phiniki SHIPILLI 1975 Cypriot Nicosia 32. Kypros SIDERAS 1965 Cypriot Nicosia 33. Panaguiotis STAVROY 1981 Cypriot Nicosia 34. Theodora STEFANIDOU - ANTONIOU 1973 Cypriot Nicosia 35. Maria STYLIANIDOU 1981 Cypriot Nicosia 36. Symeon SYMEOU 1968 Cypriot Limassol 37. Demetra THEOCHARIDOU 1972 Cypriot Limassol 38. Elena TSINGI 1967 Cypriot Nicosia 39. Eleftheria VROUNTOU 1959 Cypriot Nicosia 40. Stelios ZERVOS 1967 Cypriot Nicosia