George in his new office 

Alumnus selected as Cyprus’ Attorney-General

Congratulations to George Savvides (Law, 1982), who was appointed at the end of June 2020 by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades to the position of the Attorney–General of the Republic of Cyprus; the highest independent and autonomous institution in the country.

The acceptance of this appointment required George to step down from his previous cabinet position as Minister of Justice and Public Order, where he served from May 2019 until June 29, 2020. Before that, George was a well-established advocate, with a 35-year successful professional career.

We recently caught up with George to find out how it felt to be selected for this role and the change to his career. He said: “I consider my appointment in the position of the Attorney – General of the Republic of Cyprus to be the highest honour, which carries with it the highest responsibility towards my country, the President of the Republic, the citizens and the society as a whole. I’m also proud that my Law degree from the University of Exeter is a prominent part of my qualifications.” 

According to George, the difference between the position of the Attorney-General in Cyprus from similar institutions in other countries is that the Attorney-General is an independent officer of the State, whose term of office is not affected by any change of Government. He is the Head of the Law Office of the Republic and the legal adviser to the Republic, the President and the Executive. Cyprus’ Attorney-General, assisted by the Deputy Attorney-General, is responsible for the conduct of all criminal proceedings, as well as civil actions for or against the State, which, as a rule, are filed in his name. He exercises a number of powers and performs several functions and duties that are conferred on him by the Constitution or by Law. The Attorney-General represents the Republic of Cyprus before international courts and tribunals, and plays a prominent role in the exercise of the legal profession in Cyprus.

“I am fully aware of the weight of responsibility vested in the position of the Attorney-General”, George says and plans to work with determination and absolute respect for the Constitution and the Laws, in order to uphold the integrity of the institution, as well as to safeguard constitutional order and the public interest of the Republic of Cyprus. 

Upon assuming duties, George has introduced a number of changes in order to address the diverse needs and challenges faced by the Law Office. This in view of the fact that amongst his first priorities is the re-organisation of the Office and the introduction of the latest technology, in order to maximise efficiency, productivity and speed in dealing with the great volume of work the Law Office is currently dealing with. Achieving a more effective communication with media representatives, as well as enabling a more credible dissemination of information to the public on issues where public statements are necessary, are also major components for George’s plans.

George’s time at the University of Exeter and in the UK continue to be a source of fond memories for him and whilst catching up about his recent success and career change, we also spoke at length about what a great time he had studying here. He particularly remembers having “the privilege and the honour of having been taught by both Professor Parker and Professor Lasok” whose names are now given to the moot room and the Law Library respectively. As well as winning a mooting competition, serving as President of Hetherington House (Duryard Halls), President of the Hellenic Association and, in his third year, chairing the Staff-Student Committee of the Law Department.

Since graduating George has visited Exeter on a number of occasions and is now pleased that his daughter Laura is keeping the connection going by studying Psychology at the University of Exeter. Congratulations George on your new appointment.

Date: 18 August 2020