'ΘΑ ΚΑΤΑΡΡΕΥΣΕΙ ΤΟ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΚΟ ΣΥΣΤΗΜΑ' του Δρ. Χρίστου Κληρίδη

The recent judgment of the Cyprus Court of Appeal in CCSRE Real Estate Company Ltd v. Theodorou Menelaou (Crim. App. 94/2022, 31.10.2025) brings to the forefront a long-standing yet sensitive issue: when does a tenant’s continued occupation of a property, after the termination of the lease, transform from a civil dispute into a criminal offence of unlawful possession under Article 281(1)(a) of the Penal Code.

Cyprus has enacted a new sanctions framework that criminalises the violation or circumvention of EU restrictive measures. The Criminalisation of Violation of Union Restrictive Measures Law 2025 [Law 149(I)/2025] aligns Cyprus with Directive (EU) 2024/1226 and introduces clear offences, extraterritorial reach, and a tiered penalties regime for both individuals and companies. It replaces the prior approach and signals closer coordination with EU bodies and national authorities.

The recent judgment of the New Supreme Court of Cyprus, dated 10 September 2025, in Civil Appeal No. 74/2017 highlights a classic yet often misunderstood issue in company and contract law: when a contract entered into before the incorporation of a company binds the company itself, and when it binds personally the individual who signed it.