(1987)1987 November18 IDEMtTRlADES J . INTHE MATTER OFARTICLE 146 OFTHE CONSTITUTION GEORGHIOS CHRYSOSTOMOU. Applicant. v, THE REPUBLIC O FCYPRUS, THROUGH THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. Respondent. (Case No. 262/84). Public Officers — Appointments — Firstentry post — Scheme of sen/ice — Interpretation of—Judicial control— Pnnciplesapplicable Reasoning of anadministrativeact Bymeansof thepresentrecoursetheapplicant challenges thedecisionof the respondenttoappoint,instead of him,the «interested party», tothepost of Physicist Class II,MedicalServices and PublicHealthServices, asfromthe 15th May 1984. Counsel for theapplicant argued thatthe interested party did not possess thepost-graduate DiplomaorTitleinMedicalPhysics,whichwas required by the relevant scheme of service. He further submitted that the sub judice decision isnotduly reasoned. 5 10 Held, dismissingtherecourse. Π> Inthiscase and inthelightof thematerialplaced before theCourtthe decision thatthe interested party possessed thequalifications of the scheme of service was reasonably open totheCommission J5
(2)The reasoning of the Commission in reaching its decision clearly appearsintheminutesofitsmeetingandthematenaltakenintoconsideration by itinreachingitsdecision. • Recoursedismissed. No orderas to costs. 1833 20 3 C.L.R. Chrysostomou v. Republic Casesreferredto. Papanicodemou v.TheRepublic
(1986)3C L.R.
- Petsasv TheRepublic.3RS.C C 60 Recourse. 5 Recourseagainst thedecision oftherespondenttopromotethe interested party to the post, of Physicist Class II in the Medical Services and Public Health Services inpreference and insteadof the applicant. A. S.Angelides, forthe applicant. 10 G. Erotokritou (Mrs.), Senior Counsel of the Republic, for the respondent. Cur.adv. vult. DEMETRIADESJ. read the following judgment. Bymeansof the present recourse the applicant challenges the decision of the 15 respondent PublicServiceCommissiontoappoint, insteadofhim, Mr. Stelios Christofides, hereinafter referred to as the «interested party»,tothepostofPhysicistClassII,MedicalServicesandPublic Health Services, asfrom the 15th May, 1984 Asthe post concerned isa first entry post, the Commission on 20 the 3rd May, 1983,decided topublish the vacancy in the Official Gazette ofthe Republic and allowthree weeksforthe submission of applications. After thevacancy of the post waspublished, four applications were submitted by candidates to the Commission, amongst which were those of the applicant and the interested 25 party. AN applications were forwarded to the Departmental Committeewhichwasconstituted forthepurposeofselectingand recommending to the Commission two candidates eligible for appointment to the said vacancy, by virtue of the provisions of section 36of the PublicService Laws 1967to
- 30 Onthe24thOctober, 1983,theDepartmentalCommittee, after it had considered all relevant material placed before it and had interviewed the four candidates,forwarded totheCommission its report bywhich itrecommended the applicant and the interested party aseligible for appointment. 35 As regards the interested party, the Departmental Committee explained that although he did not possess the post-graduate diploma or degree in Medical Physics required by the relevant 1839 D e m e t r i a d e · J. Chryaostomouv. Republic
(1987)scheme of service, nevertheless, in view of his academic qualifications which he submitted to the Public Service Commission with his application (namely his Ph. D. Degree in Physics with research topicdirectly relatingtoMedicalPhysics and the fact thathe had attendedthetopics required for theacquiring 5 of the M.Sc. Degree in Medical Physics) he was considered as suitable for appointmenttothe postconcerned. The certificate of thepost-graduate degree which was given to the applicantby the University ofAston inBirmingham and which was submitted by him tothe Commission,states thathe was duly 10 admittedtotheDegree of Doctorof Philosophy.When submitting his said certificate, he attached a letter, dated the 2nd October, 1981,whichwas signed byaProfessor onElectronPhysics,aswell as a reference letterby the Headof the Departmentof Physics.In these letters explanations are given with regard to the topics 15 attended by the applicant and the practical work he carried out during his post-graduate studies. By a letter dated the 17th November, 1983, Mr. Parellis, on behalf of the respondent Commission, requested the British Council to advise them whether the Degree of Doctor of 20 Philosophy of the University of Aston inBirmigham is considered as a Degree in Medical Physics. Photocopies of the applicant's certificate issued by the University and of the letters of the two Professors were forwarded tothe British Councilfor guidance. On the22nd November, 1983, Mr. Zevlaris, theOffice Manager of theBritish CouncilinCyprus, replied thatasthereference letter from the University of Aston in Birmigham dated the 14th April, 1983, specified thatMr. Christofides special topicinhis FinalYear was «Medical Physics», he was inclined to consider hisDoctorate qualification as a Degree inMedical Physics. On the 6th February, 1984, the Commission interviewed separately bpth candidates in the presence of Mr. Andreas Markides, the Director of Medical Services and Public Health Services. The relevant part of the minutes of the Commission reads as follows:«Τόσο ο Διευθυντής των Ιατρικών Υπηρεσιών και Υπηρεσιών Δημόσιας Υγείας όσο και ο Πρόεδρος και Μέλη της Επιτροπής Δημόσιας Υπηρεσίας υπόβαλαν στους υποψηφίους ερωτήσεις σε γενικά θέματα και 1640 25 30 ^ 3 C.L.R. Chryeostomouv. Republic Demetriadcta J . κυρίως σε θέματα που αφορούν τ α καθήκοντα της θέσης, τ α οποία μναφέρονται στο Σχέδιο Υπηρεσίας. 5 Mera τ ο πέρας των συνεντεύξεων, ο Διευθυντής των Ιατρικών Υπηρεσιών και Υπηρεσιών Δημόσιας Υγείας ανάφερε- τ α εξής σχετικά με την απόδοση των υποψηφίων στις σημερινές συνεντεύξεις: Και οι δύο είναι ικανοί και έχουν T U απαιτούμενα προσόντα. 10 Ο Χρυσοστόμου έχει πιο πολλές γνώσεις οτον τομέα της Ιατροφυσικήςλόγω πείρας. Ο Χριστοφίδης ήταν πιο πρακτικός Χρυσοστόμου πιο ευρύς και θεωρητικός. και ο 15 Στο σημείο αυτό ο Διευθυντής των Ιατρικών Υπηρεσιών και Υπηρεσιών Δημόσιας Υγείας αποχώρησε από τ η συνεδρίαση. 20 Στη συνέχεια η Επιτροπή, α φ ο ύ έκρινε ότι και οι δυο υποψήφιοι ικανοποιούν τ α απαιτούμενα προσόντα τ ο υ Σχεδίου Υπηρεσίας στα οποία περιλαμβάνεται και καλή γνώση της Αγγλικής, ασχολήθηκε με τ η γενική αξιολόγηση και σύγκριση αυτών. 25 30 35 Η Επιτροπή εξέτασε τ α ουσιώδη στοιχεία από το φάκελο πλήρωσης τ η ς θέσης και από τις αιτήσεις και τ α δικαιολογητικά των υποψηφίων και έλαβε υπόψη τ α πορίσματα της Τμηματικής Επιτροπής καθώς και την απόδοση των υποψηφίων στις συνεντεύξεις τους με την Επιτροπή Δημόσιας Υπηρεσίας, υπό τ ο φως και των σχετικών κρίσεων και απόψεων τ ο υ Διευθυντή Ιατρικών Υπηρεσιών και Υπηρεσιών Δημόσιας Υγείας. Η Επιτροπή, α φ ο ύέλαβευπόψη όλατ α ενώπιον της ουσιώδη στοιχεία, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των προσόντων των υποψηφίων, έκρινε ότι ο Στέλιος ΧΡΙΣΤΟΦΙΔΗΣ υπερέχει γενικά τ ο υ άλλου υποψηφίου και τον επέλεξε σαν πιο κατάλληλο για διορισμό στη μόνιμη (Τακτ. Προϋπ.) θέση Ιατροφυσικού,2ηςΤάξης, στις Ιατρικές Υπηρεσίες και Υπηρεσίες Δημόσιας Υγείας.» («Both the Director of Medical Servicfs and Public Health Services,aswellasihe Chairman andMembers ofthePublic 1841 Demetriadea J. Chrytoatomou v. Republic
(1987)Service Commission put questions to the candidates on general mattersandespecially onmattersrelatingtotheduties of the post, which are refeπed inthe Scheme of Service. After the conclusion of the interviews, the Director of Medical Services and Public Health Services stated the following in relation tothe performance of the candidates in today's interviews: 5 Both are capable andpossessthe required qualifications. Chrysostomou hasmore knowledge intheMedical Physics area due toexperience. 10 Christofides was more practical and Chrysostomou more wide and theoretical. At this stage the Director of Medical Services and Public Health Services withdrew from the meeting. In continuation the Commission, having considered that 15 both candidates satisfy the required qualification of the Scheme of Service in which there is included, also, good knowledge of English, was occupied with the general assessment and comparison of them. The Commission examined the relevant material from the 20 file of the filling of the post and from the applications and data of the candidates and took intoaccountthe conclusions of the Departmental Committee,as well as the performance of the candidates at their interview with the Public Service Commission, inthe light of the relevant viewsand opinion of 25 the Directorof MedicalServices and Public Health Services. The Commission, having taken into account all relevant material before it, including the qualifications of the candidates,decided thatStelios CHRISTOFIDESis generally superior to the other candidate and selected him as more 30 suitable for appointmenttothe permanent(Ord. Budg.) post of Physicist, Class II,intheMedicalServices andPublicHealth Services.») The main argument of counsel for theapplicantinthis recourse is that the interested party did not possess the post-graduate 35 Diploma or Title in Medical Physics, which was required by the relevant scheme of service. He further submitted that the sub judice decision is notduly reasoned. 1842 3C.L.R. Chrveoatomouv.Republic Dcitwtriadea J. Itisan undisputed factthatboththeapplicantandthe interested party possess the first qualification that the scheme of service requires. namelyV University Diploma orTitlein Physics. Regarding the second qualification required by the scheme of 5 service, namely a post-graduate Diploma or Title in Medical Physics, the applicant possesses a Degree of Master of Sciencein Applied Science (Nuclear Medicine) of the University Collegeof Dublin.National UniversityofIreland (1981-82)andtheinterested partypossessesaDegreeofDoctorofPhilosophyoftheUniversity 10 of Aston in Birmingham. It is wjl settled that whether a candidate possesses the qualifications required underascheme ofserviceisamatter falling within the discretion of' the authority that is entrusted with appointments to a particular post and that this Court will not 15 interfere if the conclusion reached by such authority was reasonably open to it (see, inter alia, Papanicodemou v. The Republic.
(1986)3 C.L.R. 1750, 1753, and Petsas v. The Republic. 3 R.S.C.C. 60,63). In the present case I have not been persuaded that the 20 Commission has laboured under a misconception as regards the qualifications of the interested party or that it had exceeded the outer limits of its discretion, but I am convinced that on the material placed before it, it was reasonably open to the Commission toreach the conclusion that the interested party was 25 an eligible candidate. I reached my above conclusion having in mind that the Commission, in deciding that the interested party possessed the second qualification required bythe scheme of service, took into consideration theopinion expressed bytheOffice Managerof the 30 British Council in Cyprus, the views of the Departmental Committee and the statement ofthe Directorof Medical Services and Public Health Services. Inowcometothecomplaintoftheapplicant thatthesubjudice decisionisnotdulyreasoned.Theanswertothissubmissionisthat 35 the reasoning of the Commission in reaching itsdecision clearly appears in the minutes of itsmeeting and the material taken into consideration byitinreaching itsdecision. 1843 Demctriade· J. Chrysostomou v.Republic
(1987)Before concluding, Iwould like to point out that the Supreme Courtof thiscountryhasrepeatedlydecided,and thisshould have a bearing on counsel-advising clients, that the Court will not interfere and substitute thedecision reached byan administrative organ with its own, unless it is proved by the party complaining that the administrative organ in reaching its decision laboured under a misconception of fact or law or that it exercised its discretion ina wrong manner. In the present case the applicant has failed tosatisfy the Court that the Commission was wrong in reaching the sub judice decision. Intheresult,the recourse isdismissed withcosts. Recourse dismissed withcosts. 1844