(1987)1987July6 [STYLIANIDES,J] INTHEMATTER OFARTICLE 146OFTHE CONSTITUTION LOUKISKRITIOTIS, Applicant, v. 1.THEMUNICIPALITYOFPAPHOS,THROUGH THEMUNICIPALCOUNCILOFPAPHOS, 2.THEREPUBLICOFCYPRUS,THROUGH (a)THEMINISTEROFINTERIOR, (b)THECENTRALCOMMITTEEFORTHEPROTECTION OFABANDONEDTURKISHOWNEDPROPERTIES, (c)THEDISTRICTOFFICEROFPAPHOS, (d)THEDISTRICTCOMMITTEEOFPAPHOSFORTHE PROTECTIONOFABANDONEDTURKISHOWNED PROPERTIES, Respondents. (CaseNo. 137/83). Streetsand Buildings — Building permit — TheStreetsand Buildings Regulation Law, Cap. 96,section 5— Effectof. Recourse for annulment — Abatement — Administrative act of limited duration (suchasabuilding permit) — Expiration of— In thelight ofArt 146.6 ofthe Constitution, the recourse isabatedonly when theactdid not produce any adverseconsequences for the applicant. Damages— Constitution, Art. 146.6— Theannulment ofanadministrative actis apre-condition for therecovery ofdamagesresulting therefrom. After the disposal of certain preliminary points of law (see Kntiotis v. Municipality of Paphos and Others
(1986)3 CL.R. 322) the recourse proceeded in respect of theissueof thevalidity ofthebuildingpermit 'ssued by respondents 1forthe erectionof abuildingonplot609of Paphos Town on thelimitedground specifiedintheaforesaidjudgment. It must be noted that the sub judice permit, which had been issued on 30.12.82,expiredafterthelapseofoneyearfromthedateofitsissue(Section 5 of Cap.96).The permit wasnotrenewed.Moreover, nothingwasdone to implement it. 1274 3 C.L.R. Krltiotlsv. Paphos Municipality Held,dismissingtherecourse
(1)Itisclearfrom thewording ofsection5of Cap 96 thata building permitisanadministrative actof limited - one year's duration Itcan be renewed after its expiration, if the case falls within the proviso which presupposes thatthework or other matterfor which apermit was issued must commence If the work has not commenced within a year from the issue of such permit then it cannotbe renewed, one has to apply afresh for thepurpose of obtaininganentirely new building permit ς 10 15 2()
(2)Existence of legitimate interestof anapplicantisa condition precedent of the annulment junsdiction of the Administrative Court The required interestof the applicantmustcontinuetosubsist onthedateof thehearingof therecourse aswell
(3)When the subject matter of a recourse ceases to exist and the continuance of the recourse serves no purpose, the recourse is abated In general it is abated when the sub judice act is revoked expressly or by implication or on the expiry of the validity of the administrative act The pnnciple has been consistently followed and applied that where an act of limited durationhasceased toexistwithout having produced,before ceasing to be operative, any adverse consequences for the applicant,therecourse, which was made against it ts abated, because if there are no adverse consequences of such an act,noneed toannulitwould anse,inviewof the provisions of Article 146 6
(4)In this case the permit expired long ago There were no adverse consequencestotheapplicant Nouseful purposewillbeserved by adverting totheground onwhich itsannulment was sought 25 Recoursestruckout asabated No orderas tocosts Casesreferredto Chilimmtnν The Municipal Corporationof Famagusta
(1969)3 CL R 159, 30 Siman(Nol)v TheMunicipalityof Famagusta
(1972)3 C L R 78, Sevens Estatesν NicosiaMunicipality
(1985)3 C L R 1732, Chrysostomides ν The Greek Communal Chamber through the Disciplinary Council of tfie Elementary School-Teachers, 1964 C L R 397, 35 Avgoloupiv TheMinisterofinterior
(1985)3 C L R 1525, Mathohsv TheMunicipalityofNicosia
(1965)3 C L R 75, Vafeadesv TheCreek Communal Chamber
(1966)3CL R 197, Andreouv TheRepublic
(1975)3 C L R 108, 1275 Kritiotisv.PaphosMunicipality
(1987)IrrigationDivision .Katzilos» v. TheRepublic {1983)3 C.L.R. 1068; Agrotisv. TheRepublic
(1983)3C.L R. 1397; Salem v. TheRepublic
(1985)3C L.R.
- Recourse. Recourse against the decision of respondents No. 1to issue a buildingpermitfortheerectionofabuildingonplot609of Paphos townand thedecisionofrespondentNo.2fortheallotmentofplot 609,ownedbyTurkishCypriots,totheinterestedpartyandnotto allotthe whole or part of thesaid plot 609tothe applicant. 5 K. Ta.'a-ides, for the applicant. 10 ' K.Chrysostomides, for respondent
- Chr.ioannides, for respondent
- L. Clendes, for interested party. CUT. adv. vuit. STYLIANIDES J. read the following judgment. The applicant bythisrecourse sought the following reliefs:- 15
- The annulment of a building permit issued by the Respondents No. 1-TheMunicipality ofPaphos -on30/12/ 82, fortheerection ofabuildingonplot609atPaphostown.
- Theannulment of thedecision of Respondents No.2 for 20 the allotment of plot 609, owned byTurkish Cypriots, to the interested party; and,
- Theannulment ofthedecision ofRespondents No.2not toallot the whole orpart ofthe saidplot 609 tothe applicant tobe used byhim in connection with hisrestaurant business. 25 The respondents and the interested party raised in their opposition certain points of law, which were disposed of by the Court preliminarily. The Court dismissed reliefs 2 and 3 on the groundsthattheapplicant had nolegitimateinterestashewasnot 30 a displaced person and thatthe recourse wasout oftime. (Loukis Kritiotisv.TheMunicipalityofPaphosand Others
(1986)3C.L.R. 322.) With regard to relief 1the Court decided that the applicant by simplybeing owner of adjacent land had no legitimate interestto 35 impugn thesubjudicebuildingpermitifhisrights,inrespectofthe 1276 ι 3 C.L.R. 5 • Kritiotis v.Paphos Municipality Styllanldes J. neighbouring immovable, were not adversely and directly affected. Hehad nolegitimate interest toattackthevalidity ofthe subjudice building permitonthegound of thealleged violationof Regulation 5 of theStreets and Buildings Regulations, orthatitis contrarytoandinexcessof thepurposes set outintheOrderofthe Requisition and the provisions of the Constitution and the Requisition of Property Law, 1962 (Law No. 21/1962)relatingto requisitions. In the statement of facts - paragraphs 7, 8 and 9 -there are 10 certain allegations about adverse affectation of the applicant's property by the erection of the building authorized by the sub judice building permit; these allegations combined with the legal ground relating tootherinfringements oftheStreetsand Buildings Regulation Law, Cap.96 and the Regulations madethereunder, 15 on the face of them create a legitimate interest for the applicant andthisCourthasjurisdiction toconsiderthevalidity ofthe subject building permiton theaforesaid ground only. The recourse proceeded for the relief No. 1 on the limited ground stated hereinabove. 20 The building permit attacked was issued by the appropriate Authonty, the Municipality of Paphos on30/12/82. Theduration of a building permit is for one year from the date of the issue thereof. Therelevant statutory provision isSection5oftheStreets and Buildings Regulation Law, Cap.96, which reads as follows:- 25 «5.Apermitshall be validfor oneyear from thedate ofthe issue thereof: 30 Provided that,if the work or othermatterisnotcompleted within that period, the permit shall be renewable at any subsequent time if not conflicting with any Regulations in force at the time of such renewal, upon payment of the fee prescribed for theoriginal permitorof two pounds whichever is theless.The permitso renewed shall be valid for one year from thedate of renewal.» Itisclear from thewording of thisSectionthatabuildingpermit 35 isan administrative actof limited - oneyear's -duration.Itcan be renewed, after its expiration, if the case falls within the proviso which presupposes that the work or other matter for which a permit was issued must commence. If the work has not commenced within a year from the issue of such permit, thenit 1277 Stylianide·J. Kritiotisv.PaphosMunicipality
(1987)cannot be renewed; one has toapply afresh for the purposeof obtaininganentirelynewbuildingpermit.[LoullaA. Chilimintriv, TheMunicipal Corporation ofFamagusta
(1969)3 C.L.R.159; NinaSiman (No. 1)v. The Municipality ofFamagusta
(1972)3 C.L.R. 78 and SeverisEstates v. Nicosia Municipality
(1985)3 5 C.L.R.1732.) Inthepresentcasethesubjudicebuildingpermitissuedon30/ 12/82 expiredafter thelapse oftheprescribedyearandwasnot operativeon30/12/83.Itwasnotrenewed.Fromthestatementof allcounselnothingwasdonebytheinterestedpartyorindeedby JQ anyone in reliance ofthisbuildingpermit.Noworkatallforthe buildingauthorizedcommenced. TheCourtofitsownmotionraisedthepointwhether,inviewof the above, the applicant ceased to be possessed with the legitimateinterestandhencethisrecoursehasbeen abated.The 15 subjectmatteroftherecoursehasceasedtoexist. In this country Article 146, paragraph 2 of the Constitution provides that a recourse may be made by a person whose any existing legitimate interest is adversely and directly affected. Existenceofinterestofanapplicantisaconditionprecedentofthe 20 annulmentjurisdictionoftheAdministrativeCourt.Therequired interestoftheapplicantmustcontinuetosubsistonthedateofthe hearingoftheRecourseaswell.[KyriakosChrysostomldesv. The Greek CommunalChamberthrough theDisciplinary Council of the Elementary School-Teachers, 1964 CL.R. 397, 402; 25 GeorghlosAvgoloupt v.TheMinisterofInterior
(1985)3C.L.R. 1525.) When the subject matter of a recourse ceasestoexistandthe continuance of the recourse serves no purpose, the recourse is abated. Ingeneral itIsabatedwhenthesubjudiceactIsrevoked 30 expressly orbyImplication,orontheexpiryofthevalidityofthe administrative act. (Jurisprudence of the Council of State In Greece 1929.1959,page275.) UnderArticle146.6oftheConstitutionapersonisonlyentitled toseekcompensation after he obtainsaJudgment Inannulment 35 proceedings before the Administrative Court. Therefore, if he suffered any damages from the sub judice administrative act, though it ceased to exist after the filing of the recourse, he Is entitled to have the recourse determined as a Judgment of the Courtunierparagraph4oftheArticle146isasinequanontoa 40 claimfordamagesbefore aCivilCourt,ur.derArticle146.
- *C.L.R. Kritiotisv.PaphosMunicipality StyiianidesJ. In Greece the position is lucidly stated inTsatsos -Application for Annulment, 3rd edition, page 370-372, Spiliotopoulos Manual of Administrative Law, 2nd edition, page
- In Spiliotopoulos we read:5 10 15 20 «
- Η δίκη καταργείται (Ν.Δ 170/1973 Άρθρον 32), πλην της περιπτώσεως ελλείψεως υποκειμένου και λόγω ελλείψεως αντικειμένου εις τας ακολούθους περιπτώσεις: (ι) 00 ίιι\) (νι) λήξεως της ισχύοςτηςδιοικητικής πράξεως χωρίς να παραμένουν διοικητικής φύσεως συνέπειαι (I.E. 3958/1978).» («
- The trial is abated (Law 170/73 Section 32), except in the case of lack of subject anddue to lack of object inthe following circumstances; 0) (u) (iii) (vi) expiry of the validity of the administrative act without there remaining results of administrative nature (Greek Council of State, case No. 3958/1978.»). In Cyprus the principle has been consistently followed and 25 applied that where an act of limited duration has ceased toexist without having produced, before ceasing to be operative, any adverse consequences for the applicant the recourse which was made against it is abated, because if there are no adverse consequences of such an act no need to annul it, in view of the 30 provisions of Article 146.6 would arise. (See,interaliaMalliotisv. TheMunicipality of Nicosia
(1965)3 C.L.R. 75,94, 95;Vafeades v. The Greek Communal Chamber
(1966)3 C.L.R. 197, 199; Andreou v.Republic
(1975)3 C.L.R. 108,110; IrrigationDivision *Katzih$» v. The Republic
(1983)3 C.L.R. 1068; Agrotis v. The 35 Republic
(1983)3 C.L.R. 1397 andSalem v. TheRepublic
(1985)3C.L.R.453.J In thepresent case thesub judice building permit expired long ago and itwas notrenewed. It ceased toexistand noresults were 1279 StyllanidesJ. Kritiotisv.PaphosMunicipality
(1987)produced; no adverse consequences remained tothe applicant when itwasoperativeandtherefore revocation oftheactwould servenopurpose;nousefulpurposewillbeservedbyadvertingto the ground on which the annulment of the sub judice building permitwassought. 5 In the result this recourse isstruck out as abated, but, inthe circumstancesofthecaseImakenoorderastocosts. Recoursestruckout asabated. Noorderas tocosts. 1280 10