clr/1987/1987_3_31.pdf

(1987)requirement of a degree ortitlemEconomics orCommerce, required bythe said scheme of service The Court, however, found that itwas open to the Commission to find that the interested party satisfied the requirement under para 6ofthescheme ofservice Asa result of thesaid annullingdecision therespondentsreconsidered the matterand conducted mquinesintothenature ofthedegreeheldbytheinterested party by addressing relevant questions to the Amencan Universityof Beirut (which awarded the said degree),tothe FulbnghtCommission and to the Bntish Council The Amencan University of Beirut did not reply The Fulbnght Commission replied that in USAthesaid degree isused interchangeably with a degree in Commerce and the Bntish Council replied that the two degrees aresimilaras they havethe same aims 5 \Q TheDirector-General oftheMinistryofCommerceandIndustryconducted hisown inquines intothe matterand forwarded totheCommission the followingmatenal, namely a telexfrom theAmencan University of Beirutto the 1 5 effect that the degree isconsidered asa degree inCommerce, ananalysisof thesubjects followed bythe interested partyforthepurposeofobtaininghis degreeand matenal received from theGreek EmbassyinNicosia TheDirector,however, did not stopatthatbut proceeded and informed the Commission that the Ministry after careful study, amved at the conclusion that the 2 0 degree can betreated asequivalent toa degree in Commerce Itshould,also,benoted thattheCommission received,through counselof theapplicant, a letterfrom theUniversityofOxford totheeffect thatthe three subjects(Economics, Commerce, BusinessAdministration)areconsidered as entirelyseparate 25 When all the above matenal were gathered before it, the Commission sought and obtained the advice of the Attorney-General on the matter In accordance withsuch advicethedegreeinquestioncouldbeconsidered asa titlein Commerce On the 11 184 the respondentsfound that «inthe lightof allthe matenal 3Q before them,aswellastheadviceofthe Attorneys-General» thedegree could be considered as one in Commerce The respondents then, having been satisfied thattheinterestedpartypossessedtheremainingqualifications under paras 2 and 3 of the scheme of service, decided to promote the interested partytothe said post Hence the present recourse Held,dismissingtherecourse

(1)ThisCourtdoesnotinterfere withthediscretionoftheappointingorganininterpretingandapplyingaschemeofservice, unlessitwasnot reasonably open toittoreach the relevant decision.

(2)Inthe lightofthesaidannullingdecision ofthisCourtitwasopen tothe 32 40 35 3 C.L.R. Mytide»v. Republic Commission toconduct a new inquiry intothe matterof the qualifications of the interested party. 5 10

(3)The Director-General ofthe Ministryhad adutytosupply the Commissionwiththeinformation hehad receivedasregardsthe matterofthe degree and, therefore, hisaction inthatrespectwasnot contrary totheprinciplesof goodand proper administration. However, thestephe tooktoconvey tothe Commission the conclusions reached bythe Ministryas regards the degree is,tosaytheleast,highlyundesirable,butinthelightofthematenaibeforethe Court there isnoindication that the Commission relied on such conclusions and,therefore, there wasnointerference with itsdiscretion.

(4)TheadviceoftheAttorney-General wasnotsuch astoamounttoaninterference withthe respondents' discretion. 15

(5)Inthelightofthesaidannullingdecision ofthisCourt itwasopen tothe Commission tofindthattherequirement underpara.6oftheschemeofservicewassatisfied and thisCourtcannot actasanappellateCourtand question the finding of theJudge inthatcase.

(5)Onthebasisofthematerialbefore it,itwasreasonablyopen totheCommission toreachthe conclusionthattheinterested partysatisfied therequirementsunderparas.2and 3ofthescheme of service. 20 (6} The fact that the lasttworeports on the applicant are betterthan those ofthe interested party isnotbyitself sufficient toestablish strikingsuperiority of applicant overthe interested party. Recoursedismissed. Costsagainstapplicant. 2 5 Casesreferredto: Papapetrou v.TheRepublic,2R.S.C.C. 61; Mytidesv. TheRepublic

(1983)3C.L.R. 1096; Constantinidesv.TheRepublic

(1984)3C.L.R.643. Recourse. 30 35 Recourse against the decision of the respondents to promote theinterestedpartytothepostofHead,PricesControlandConsumers' Protection Service in the Ministry of Commerce and Industryinpreference andinsteadoftheapplicant. A.S.Agnelides,fortheapplicant. A.Vladimirou,fortherespondents. G.Triantafyllides, fortheinterestedparty. Cur. adv. vuJt. 33 Mytldesv. Republic

(1987)DEMETR1ADES J. readthefollowingjudgment. This recourse directedagainst thedecision of therespondentsdatedthe 11th nuary, 1984, to appointand/orpromote to the post of Head, icesControlandConsumers'ProtectionService, intheMinistry CommerceandIndustry,Mr.CostasG.Paschalis,theinterested 5 trty,instead of andinpreference totheapplicant. Onthe1stApril,1982,theinterestedpartywaspromotedtothe )StofHead,PricesControlandConsumers' Protection Service, the Ministry of CommerceandIndustry,by arelevant decision therespondentsandasaresulttheapplicant,togetherwithano- 10 -vt candidate,challenged theabove decision by RecoursesNos. 6/82 and 290/82. By the judgment in the above recourses, uchwas delivered onthe19thOctober,1983,(seeMytidesand motherv. theRepublic,

(1983)3C.L.R.1096),thepromotionof Ϊ interested party was annulled on the ground that no due 15 luiry was carriedoutby therespondentsastowhethertheinteitedpartypossessedthequalifications requiredby the schemes serviceandthattheCommissiondidnotconductanyinquiryin der to ascertain whether the degree of Bachelor of Business iministration,heldby theinterested party, satisfiedtherequire- 20 antof adegree ortitleinEconomicsorCommerce,as provided >theschemes of servicefor thepost inquestion. After the annulmentof the promotion of the interested party, e respondents met to consider the position in the light of the dgmentoftheCourtanddecidedtoconductfurther inquiriesin- 25 thenatureof theacademicdegree heldbv theinterestedparty. thisrespect,therespondentsaddressed alettertotheAmerican niversity of Beirut (whichawarded thedegree of the interested irty),requesting advice astowhetherthedegree ofBusiness AdinistrationawardedbyitisconsideredasadegreeinCommerce. 30 also,addressed asecondlettertotheFulbrightCommission,inairing whether the degree of Bachelor of Business Administra)n,awarded by Universities intheUnitedStates,istreatedinthe .S.A.asadegree inCommerce.Athirdletterwas senttotheBri;hCouncilinquiringwhetherthesame degree isregarded inthe 35 nitedKingdom asadegree in Commerce. By letter dated the 23rd November, 1983, theBritish Council formed therespondentsthatalthoughdifferent Universitiesmay ffersimilarcoursesunderdifferent titlesandgivedifferenttitlesto 34 3 C.L.R. Mytideav. Republic Demetriadea; theirdegrees, thetwodegrees aresimilarinthesense thattheyha ve thesameaims. TheFulbrightCommission,byitslettersdatedthe30thNovem ber, 1983 and the 13th December, 1983, informed the respon 5 dentsthatthedegree of BachelorofBusiness Administration is, ii the U.S.A., used interchangeably as a degree inCommercean. thatthecoursesinBusiness Administrationarerelatedtocommer cial subjects. TheAmerican University of Beirut did notreply tothe letterο 10 therespondents. Parallel to the inquiry carried out by the respondents onthi matter, the Director-General of the Ministry of Commercean< Industry, conducted his own inquiries and forwarded to thi respondentsa telex which hereceived from theabove University 15 totheeffect thatthe subjects covered by the degree in Busines Administration deal with Commerceandthedegree is,therefore considered tobe a degree incommerce.The same official, also forwarded totherespondentsmaterialfromtheGreekEmbassyii Cyprus, showing thatthe School of Economicand Commercia 20 Sciences in Greece provides courses in (a) Economics and (b Business Administration and awards degrees inCommercetoit graduates. He, also, forwarded totherespondents ananalysisc the subjects followed by the interested party for the purpose c obtaining his degree, pointing out thatthe Ministry, after carefi 25 study of the subjects taught, arrived at the conclusion thatthi degree in question is directly related tothe commercial subject andthatthedegree canbe considered asanequivalent degreeir Commerce(seeletterdatedthe22ndNovember, 1983,appendi. 9 tothe Opposition). 30 35 Onthe26th November, 1983, counsel for theapplicantwrot totherespondents on thismatterand forwarded tothemalettt dated the22nd November, 1983, from the University of Oxforc thematerialpartof which reads: «This University does award degrees inEconomicsbutnotι Commerceor Business Administration; and would consid* thethreesubjects tobe entirelyseparate, althoughinterred ted.» 35 Demetriadea J. Mytidea v. Republic

(1987)Attheirmeeting of the 10th December, 1983,therespondents decided toseek the advice of theOffice of theAttorney-General on certain matters. On the 7th January, 1984, the respondents wrote totheAttorney-General's Office andasked for advice,inter alia,astowhetherthedegree of theinterestedpartycanbeconsi- 5 dered as atitleinCommerce.Therelevant partof theletterreads asfollows (appendix 17totheOpposition): *3. Θ α πρέπει να σημειωθείό τ ιηΕπιτροπή γ ι α σκοπούς επανεξέτασης τ ο υ θέματος συγκέντρωσε διάφορα στοιχεία. Α υ τ ά , καθώς και δυο σχετικέςεπιστολές από 10 τ ο δικηγόροτ ο υΑιτητή στην προσφυγήαρ. 226/82, που στάληκαν μετά τ η ν έκδοσητ η ςαπόφασηςτ ο υΔικαστη­ ρίου ημερ. 9.11.83 και 26.11.83, επισυνάπτονται ως Π α ρ α ρ τ ή μ α τ α Α & ΣΤ, προκειμένου να συμβουλεύ­ σετε κ α τ ά πόσον από νομικής πλευράςθα ήταν δίκαιο- 15 λογημένο ν α θεωρηθεί τ ο πανεπιστηυιακό πτυχίο τ ο υ κ. Πασχάλη στη Διοίκηση Επιχειρήσεων (Β.Α., Business Administration) ως πανεπιστημιακός τίτλος στα Εμπορικ.ά.». («3.IthastobenotedthattheCommission,forpurposesofre- 20 examination of the matter,collected certain material.These, together with two relevant letters from counsel for theappli­ cant in Recourse No. 226/82, which were sent after the delivery of the judgment of the court (dated 9.11.83 and 26.11.83)areattachedasAppendices A- ΣΤ,sothatyou may 25 advisewhether from thelegalpointofviewitwould be justi­ fied for the university degree of Mr. Paschalis in BusinessAdministration (B.A., BusinessAdministration),tobeconside­ red asa university degree inCommerce.») Onthe22nd December, 1983, theDirector-Generalof the Mi- 30 nistry forwarded totherespondentsanotherletterwhichherecei­ ved from the American University of Beirut, confirming thatthe degree awarded tothe interested party could be considered asa degree in Commerce. TheOffice of theAttorney-General,byitslettersdatedthe10th 35 January, 1984 and 11th January, 1984, advisedtherespondents thatfrom thematerialbefore it,itisdeducedthatthedegree ofthe interestedpartycouldbylegallyconsideredasatitleinCommerce 'Appendices 19and20). 36 3 CX.R. MyrtJdesv. Republic Demetriadea J. At their meeting of the 11th January, 1984, the respondents, after consideringthematter,found that«inthelightofallthematerial before them, as well as the advice of the Attorney-General», thedegree heldbytheinterestedpartycouldbeconsideredasone 5 in Commerce. The respondents then, after stating that they were satisfied that Mr. Paschalis possessed, also, at the material time. the remaining qualifications required byparagraphs

(2)and

(3)of the schemes of service, proceeded to promote him tothe postin question as from the 1stApril, 1982. 10 The applicant, feeling aggrieved, filed the present recourse. Counselfortheapplicantarguedhiscasemainlyonthegrounds that:1. The inquirywhich wascarried out bythe respondents wasdefective. 15 2. The applicant issuperior inmerit tothe interested party. With regard to the first ground, counsel argued that the inquiry carriedoutbytherespondentsintothematterofpossession bythe interested party of the qualifications required by the schemes of service was conducted in a wrongful and defective manner in 20 that:(

1. a)The Director-General oftheMinistryinterfered withthetaskof the respondents, which was to inquire and decide tor themselves the matter in question, by presenting to the respondents documents and interpreting them insuch away 25 astomislead them inreaching their decision. (
2. b)The respondents, instead ofinterpreting theschemes ofservice, as itwastheir duty to do, referred the matter tothe Attorney-General's Office foritsadvice,whichinfact amountstoa substitution of the respondents' discretion by the Attomey30 General. (
3. c)Theinterpretation attached bytherespondentstotheschemes of service inquestion wasnot reasonably open to them. (
4. d)Therespondentsfailed toconduct an inquiryintothe possession bythe interested party of qualifications 2,3 and 6 of the 35 schemesofservice. 37 DemetitadesJ. Mytldeav.Republic

(1987)Thepower of inteφretingandapplyinga scheme ofserviceis within the absolute discretion of the appointing organ and this Courtwillnotinterfere with itsdecisionunlessitwas notreasona­ bly opentoittoreachsame. (SeePapapetrouv.TheRepublic, 2R.S.C.C.61;Mytidesv. TheRepublic, (1983J3C.L.R. 1096atp. 1111; Constantinidesv. TheRepublic,

(1984)3 C.L.R.643 atp. 652). Afterthejudgment oftheSupremeCourttherespondentsmet toreconsidertheirdecisionfortheselectionofoneofthecandida­ tesfor promotiontothepostinquestionandforthispurposethey 10 conductedanewinquiryintothematterofwhethertheinterested partypossessedthequalifications requiredbytheschemesofser­ vice and, especially, into the question of whether his academic degree in BusinessAdministration could be considered as ade­ greeortitleinCommerce.Inmyview, such acoursewas entirely 15 open totherespondentsinthelightof thejudgmentoftheCourt inRecoursesNos.226/82and290/82. Inconductingtheirinquiry therespondentscollected materialfrom varioussources, referen­ cetowhich hasalready beenmade. Inow propose todealwiththecomplaintof theapplicantthat 20 the respondents reached their decision as regards theacademic qualifications oftheinterestedpartyafter interferencefromtheDi­ rector-Generalof theMinistryandtheOffice of theAttorney-Ge­ neral. Itisanundisputedfactthattherespondentsneverrequestedthe 25 Director-Generalfor assistanceonthismatterandthattheAmeri­ canUniversity of Beirutneveransweredtheletterbywhichthere­ spondentsrequested adviceastowhetherthedegreeofBusiness Administration awarded to graduates of itssaid faculty was also considered asadegreeinCommerce. 30 Although the Director-General was notrequested toassistthe respondentsintheirinquiry,itwas, inmyview, hisdutytosupply to them the information he had received from the American University of Beirut andthisstepisnot,Ibelieve,contrarytothe principlesofgoodandproperadministration.However,theDirec- 35 tor-Generaldidnotstoptherebutproceededtoconvey tothere­ spondentstheconclusions reachedby theMinistryasregardsthe degreepossessedby theinterestedparty. Inviewof thisIhaveto decidewhethertheexpressionbytheDirector-Generalofthecon38 5 3 C.L.R. Mytldes v. Republic DemetrUdea J. elusions of the Ministry influenced the discretion of the respondentsintakingthesubjudice decision. Although I believe that thiscourse, which wastaken by theDirector-General is,tosay the least, most undesirable, after careful 5 consideration of the materialbefore me, Ihave come to theconclusion thatthere isno indication of anyinterference withthediscretion oftheCommission, inviewofthefactthatthelatterdidnot relyontheconclusionsoftheMinistrybutproceededtomaketheir ownfindingsand asfar asthissubmission isconcerned, Ifind that 10 there isnomeritinit. Thenextsubmission of theapplicant, withwhich Ihavetodeal, iswhethertheadviceoftheOffice oftheAttorney-General onthe question puttoitbytherespondentsamountstointerference with their discretion intakingthesubjudice decision. 15 Ihaveearliermade reference tothequestionputbytherespondents and the advice given. In my view, the advice given isnot suchastobeconsidered aninterference asitneitheramounted to adecisionnordiditindicatetotherespondentswhattheirdecision oughttobe. 20 Inthecircumstancesbefore me,Ifind thatthedecision oftherespondentswastheirownandthattheOffice oftheAttorney-Generalneitherinfluenced norinterfered withthetakingofthesubjudice decision. I,therefore, dismissthissubmission. 25 Part (c)ofthearguments of counsel on thisground has already been answered and what remains to be considered iswhether a due inquiryhas been carried out intothe question of possession. by the interested party, of the qualifications required by paragraphs2, 3and 6of theschemes ofservice. 30 Withregardtoparagraph 6ofthequalifications, which concems the possession of a post-graduate diploma, it has already been found by the court in theMytides case, supra, that itwas open to theCommission toconcludeastheydid(seep. 1112ofthereport) and thisCourt cannot act as an appellate Court and question the 35 finding of theJudge inthat case. Concerning qualifications 2 and 3,itisstated inthe minutesof the meeting of the respondents in which the sub judice decision 39 Demetriadea J . Mytidesv.Republic

(1987)wastaken (Appendix21)thattheCommission, havingre-examined the material before them, were satisfied that Mr. Paschalis possessed,atthematerialtime,thosequalifications.Havingconsidered the material before me,whichwas,also,before theCommission atthe materialtimeof takingtheirdecision, Ifindthatit 5 was reasonably open to them, on the basis of such material, to reachthatconclusion.Thisgroundoflawis,therefore,dismissed. Whatremainstobeconsiderediswhethertheapplicantshould havebeenpreferred totheinterestedparty.Itiswellsettledthatfor an applicant to succeed on such ground he must prove striking 10 superiorityovertheinterestedparty. Itiscorrectthatthelasttworeportsofthe applicant arebetter thanthoseoftheinterestedparty.Thisfactaloneisnot,however, enough astorendertheapplicantstrikinglysuperiortotheinterestedparty,havingregardtothelineofauthoritiesofthisCourton 15 thepointinissue.Ifindthatthedecisionoftherespondentstoprefer the interested party to the applicant wasreasonably open to theminthelightofthematerialbeforethemandtheirconclusions, andthisCourtcannotsubstituteitsowndiscretionforthatoftherespondents.Thisgroundoflaw,therefore,alsofails. 20 In the result, this recourse fails and is hereby dismissed with costs. Recoursedismissed withcosts. 40