Northern Cyprus Supreme Court: Rulings based on facts and law, not election calendar

The Supreme Court said court rulings are made according to concrete facts in the case file, applicable law and judicial procedures, not the election calendar. The statement followed remarks by Prime Minister Ünal Üstel about a court ruling in a television programme. The court said the start of election bans does not prevent courts from carrying out their duties and that judicial activity continues independently of the political calendar.

The statement said criminal proceedings begin with a police investigation and continue when the Chief Prosecutor's Office files a case with the court. It recalled that a defendant was convicted in the first case filed by the Chief Prosecutor's Office over fake diploma allegations. Of two cases later brought to court, a defendant was convicted in one, while the other has reached the hearing stage. Similar recently filed cases are at the referral stage to the Criminal Court.

The Supreme Court said: “In any criminal case, the hearing and conclusion of cases in which the Chief Prosecutor's Office and the defence are ready for trial is a natural part of the judicial process.”