Cyprus Bar Association disciplinary council sanctions two lawyers for professional misconduct

The Disciplinary Council of the Cyprus Bar Association has recently sanctioned two lawyers for significant professional negligence. In the first case, a Paphos-based lawyer had his license suspended for one year and was ordered to pay 78,000 euros in damages after he unilaterally withdrew a property dispute case without his client's consent. Furthermore, he failed to register a court injunction against the client's ex-wife and worked for a firm representing the opposing party without disclosure.

In a separate matter, a second lawyer was fined 2,500 euros for failing to appear at the Administrative Court of International Protection on October 30, 2024. This negligence led to the dismissal of his client’s asylum application and imposed 500 euros in court costs on the applicant. The lawyer admitted to the charges, citing an administrative error regarding his calendar, and noted he did not charge a fee for the case. While the asylum case has since been restored and is currently ongoing, the Council deemed his conduct unacceptable, noting that he failed to inform his client of the dismissal or the possibility of reinstating the legal action.