Michael Vorkas was re-elected unopposed to the presidency of the Cyprus Bar Association on Wednesday. In a speech at the Association’s Annual General Meeting, he reviewed the work of the previous three-year term and presented 14 goals and commitments for the new 2026–2029 term.
Vorkas spoke of enhancing the standing of Cypriot lawyers both domestically and within international organisations. He referred to zero tolerance for misconduct, the consolidation of collective awareness, and a firm stance against all forms of unprofessional conduct.
He also spoke of full respect for the partners in the administration of justice, alongside a corresponding demand for respect towards the legal profession.
Vorkas stressed that no decision affecting the profession would be accepted by the Association on a “nothing about us without us” basis, while also referring to practical support for both large and small law firms, as well as for lawyers who struggle daily to make a living.
He said that during the new term they would continue to press for the full completion of justice reform at all levels, while demanding the strict implementation of the new Civil Procedure Rules, so that the problem of delays is permanently eliminated.
Zero tolerance for interference in the lawyer-client relationship and full protection of the independence of the profession are among the goals, he said. He also referred to the need to introduce new measures for the enforcement of court judgments through legislative amendments and the introduction of the role of a “Special Receiver for Judgment Debtors” before the end of 2026.
A non-negotiable requirement, he continued, is the mandatory involvement of a lawyer in property sale and purchase agreements, with the relevant draft legislation already prepared. He referred to a further increase in the reserves of the Pensions Fund, which rose from €85 million in 2023 to €102 million in 2026, and to the immediate completion of its restructuring to ensure decent retirement benefits.
He also spoke of activating and strengthening the Cyprus Arbitration and Mediation Centre (CAMC), with immediate information provided to members at their offices, while saying that the Nicosia Courthouse is at the top of the Association’s institutional priorities.
Vorkas committed that, before the end of his new term, the Cyprus Bar Association would be housed in its own privately owned building, with offices, meeting rooms and facilities for events.
Review of the term
The re-elected President of the Cyprus Bar Association gave a detailed review of the work carried out over the past three years, referring to digital justice. Following the problems with eJustice and the return to iJustice, he said, the first phase of the system’s upgrade was completed in July 2026, with the contribution of volunteer lawyers.
Over the past three years, he added, 341 supervisory inspections were carried out, 1,101 Compliance Officers were certified and 30 AML seminars were held, while in September a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed with MOKAS.
Referring to the Association’s Academy, he said that 162 training activities (717 hours) had been organised, with 22,026 attendances. Of these attendances, 55% related to free programmes, while from 2025 a categorisation system for certified units was introduced.
The Association, he continued, participated in 262 meetings of parliamentary committees, examined 47 bills and submitted 44 written memoranda.
During his review, Mr Vorkas also referred to the establishment of the Young Lawyers’ Conference, the holding of the first Moot Court Competition, and the formulation of the new framework for entry into the profession, which was announced in 2026 and will come into effect on 1 July 2030.
