(1988)1988September16 [PIKIS, J.[ INTHEMATTEROFARTICLE 146OFTHECONSTITUTION PANAYIOTAKOKKINOU, Applicant, v. THEREPUBLICOFCYPRUS,THROUGH THEPUBLICSERVICECOMMISSION. Respondent. (CaseNo. 788/86). Legitimate interest—Promotionsofpublicofficers—Oneofthetwointerested partieslaterpromotedtosubjudicepostfromadatepriortothesubjudice promotion—Vacancythuscreatedfilledbypromotionofapplicantasfrom dateofsubjudicepromotion—Suchpromotionofapplicantimpugnedbya recourse,whichisstillpending—Whetherapplicantstillpossessesalegiti- 5 mateinteresttopursue thisrecourse—Questiondeterminedintheaffirmative. Practice—Recoursefor annulment—Promotionofpublicofficers—Legitimate interestofapplicantfound asstillsubsistingonlybecauseofpendencyof anotherrecourseagainstthepromotionofapplicanttothesubjudicepost— in Whetherthisrecourseshouldbeadjournedsinedieordismissed,subjectto arightofreinstatement—Neithercoursefollowed—Directionsthatrecourse beheardonitsmerits. Bymeansof thisrecoursetheapplicantimpugned thevalidityof the promotion of the twointerested parties tothepost of Senior Chemist as 15 from 1.9.86.One of thetwo interested parties waslater promoted tothe samepostfrom adatepriorto1.9.86.Thevacancy,whichoccurred,was Filledbyapplicant'spromotion retrospectively asfrom 1.9.86.Applicant's such promotion waschallengedbyanotherrecourse.Theissuethataroze fordetermination iswhethertheapplicant stillpossessesalegitimateinter- 20 esttopursuethisrecourse. 1798 3 C.L.R. 5 , Kokkinou v. Republic Held:
(1)Haditnotbeenforthependencyoftherecourseagainstappli cant'spromotion»the pursuitoftheseproceedings wouldhavebeen super: fluous. The'pendencyof'therecourseagainst applicant'spromotionsustains his interest topursue this recourse. (Bagdadesv.'Ploussiou
(1984)3 • CL.R. 1556followed). '; . . . · •.' ι • . ' . ** J i" η;,' ' ,•
(2)TheCourtisdisinclined toadjourn thecasesinedieordismissthe recourse,subjecttoarightofreinstatement. ~· Directionsaccordingly. « > • . t • . • . · . ! , , Casesreferredto: . 10 , • . . . * ' < • ' . ' ' Bagdadesv. Ploussiou
(1984)3 C.L.R. 1556; ..- ) Payiatasy. TheRepublic
(1984)3C.L.R..1231; . ' , Vakis v. TheRepublic
(1985)3C.L.R. 534; . KikasandOthers v..TheRepublic
(1984)C.L.R.852; loannou v.C.T.O.
(1986)3C.L.R.2543. J5 Recourse. i f - ' - , Recourse against thedecision of the respondents to promote the interested parties tothe post of Senior Chemist in the Depart ment of Health inpreference andinstead of theapplicant. A.Pandelides, for theapplicant. 20 P. Hadjidemetriou, for the respondents. -,, , .Cur. adv. vult. 25 PIKIS J. read thefollowing judgment. Itis imperative tonar rate the facts andkeep theminclear perspective inorder toappre ciate theimplications of the issue that hastobe decided, namely, whether therecourse hasbeen sapped of its subject matter. 1799 Pikis J. Kokkinou v. Republic
(1988)The applicant and the two interested parties were candidates for promotion tothepost of SeniorChemist in theDepartmentof Health.The interested parties werepromoted inpreference tothe applicant. The date of their promotion was 1/9/86.The decision to appoint the interested parties is the subject matter of this re- 5 course.During thependency of theproceedings aseriesofdevelopments occurred that must bedetailed in order to comprehend their effect. In thecontext ofre-examination of anearlieradministrative act of the respondents,one of thetwo interested parties waspromoted to the position of Senior Chemist, effective from adateprior to 1st September,
- Guided by this reality, the respondents proceeded tofill thepost that hadbeen allocated tohim,byvirtue of the sub judice decision that was treated as having not been filled by the promotion of one of the two interested parties. No doubt the respondents sought tofill the gap that was created by theretrospectivepromotion oftheinterested partytoanearliervacancy. The Public Service Commission did not address themselves anew tofacts, nordid theyrevoke thesubjudice decision. They merely gauged the gap and supplemented theirdecision by filling the second vacancy towhich they appointed the applicant. In effect, we have three acts that must bejuxtaposed in order to determine whether thegrievanceoftheapplicant wasremedied: (A)The subjudicedecision; (B) The decision entailing theretrospective promotion of one of thetwointerested parties;and (C) the filling of the gap left by the last-mentioned act by the retrospective promotion oftheapplicant tothepostof Senior Chemist, effective from 1/9/
- Counsel for the respondents submitted that the recourse has 30 been abated or, more accurately, that applicant has forfeited any legitimate interest tochallenge thesubjudice decision,adecision duly supplemented by his retrospective promotion to thepost to 1800 10 15 20 3.C.L.R. 5 IQ Kokkinou v. Republic Pikis J. which he sought to be promoted.^Counsel for therespondents maintainedthat his'clienthasaninteresttopursuetheproceedings in view of thechallenge'raised tohis promotion by arecourse filed within thetimelimited by para.3of article
- If thepursuer of that recourse is successful, his promotion will be an nulled,whereas hewillhavelosteveryrighttochallengethedeci sion,subject matterof thisrecourse. In onesensehis interestin pursuingthepresentproceedingsiscontingentontheoutcomeof thechallenge of hispromotion.Incomparablecircumstances, the Full Bench of,the Supreme Court, as counsel,submitted, ac knowledgean interesttotheapplicanttopursue,theproceedings. Thedecision is thatof Bagdades v.Ploussipu.* Theratioofthe decision inBagdades, supra,is thatsatisfaction of the grievance of anapplicantinproceedings underarticle 146.1, doesnotbring aboutdisappearanceof hisinteresttopursuetheproceedingif the act,by virtueof which his grievance was remedied,is atissue in proceedings.raised underarticle-146.1 , , Itis settled thauherevocationof anact,subject tojudicialre view underarticle 146,doesnotautomatically entailthedismissal r, ι.. t, - _ 25 30 ι •ι of therecourse.** Itmay be pursued toconclusion for thepurr poseof founding arighttopursue acivil action(under para.6of article 146.Here,theapplicantdoesnotwishtocontinuethepro ceedingfor thatpurpose.Hemerely wishestoseekthe annulment of thesubjudice actincase such course becomes necessary by theoutcomeof therecoursedirectedagainst his subsequentpro motion. Had itnotbeen for therecourse mountedagainst his promo tion,pursuit of theproceeding would be superfluous. Thedeci sion inBagdades, supra,reflects therealities of ourjudicial systemapplicable tothereviewof administrativeaction, and accords *
(1984)3C.L.R. 1556.. ** (See,inter alia, Payiatasv. Republic
(1984)3 C.L.R. 1231; Vakisv. Republic
(1985)3C.L.R.534;KitesandOthersv.Republic
(1984)3C.L.R.852;loannou v.C.T.O.
(1986)3C.L.R.2543). 1801 PikisJ. Kokkinou v.Republic
(1988)with theintrinsicinterestsofjustice.Necessarily,Imustconclude that thependency of theproceedings against hispromotionsustainshisinterestin thepursuitofthepresentrecourse.Nevertheless,thecoursesuggested bycounsel,thatis,toadjourn thecase sinediependingtheoutcomeofotheraction,isnotoneagreeable 5 totheCourt.Itwillentaildelayatatimewhenallfactsrelevantto judicialreviewareavailableandcanbepondered;and,asinevery case, thetime factor isessential for thedueappreciation of the factsofthecase.Iamequallydisinclined todismisstherecourse subject toarightofreinstatement ontheapplication of thepursuer,acoursethatwould likewisebringaboutthesameresultsas theadjournment ofthecasesinedie. Finding,asIdo,thattheapplicanthasanextantinterestinthe pursuitof herrecourse,Idirectthat therespondentsdofile their written address, as directed by Loris, J., who originally dealt with thecase.Theaddresstobefiled withinonemonth.Thereafter, applicant will beatliberty tofileanaddressinreply within fifteen days.CertaintyinthehierarchyoftheAdministration is,it must be appreciated, an important factor that cannot be overlooked, as well as therightoftheremaining interested party to know theoutcomeofajudicialproceeding affecting hisposition inthecivilservice. The case is fixed for further directions on 17/12/88 at 8.45 a.m. Orderaccordingly. 1802 15 20 25